Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

In the field of social work there are times that caseworkers will work with clients making some decisions that are very uncomfortable for the worker. Many times workers will be faced with ethical dilemmas that are difficult to navigate. One that I know is difficult for me is the idea of who is my client when my client is pregnant?? Do I protect the unborn child who is being negatively impacted by my client's neglect or do I support the self-determination of the client as she chooses not to receive prenatal services or continues toxic behavior for the child? I know in my heart that I could never holistically work with a client without also educating her on the impacts of the choices she makes on the child she is carrying. I feel as though if I present the information and the consequences, some of the dissonance I feel over the embryo's care can be alleviated as I give the mother the information and support her right to self-determination. One area of great concern to me is that of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Drinking may seem harmless to the mother, however it has great affects on the child. Physical disfigurations and behavior affect changes are all present with FAS and can limit the quality of life for the child. I do not often hear about this particular disease and wanted to share what I found about this topic. On the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website, I found a lot of information on FAS from basics to signs of FAS in children. Also, I wanted to post this video I came across. Please watch it and consider what you would do if you were working with clients who were continuing to drink and do not think that it affects anyone but themselves. Alcohol can have great impact on an unborn child, and proper recognition to this issue should be made. Enjoy the video and remember why we do this work.


Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - More free videos are here