Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Jan. 16, 1986, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Pregnant Women Urged To Abstain From Alcohol Billy S. is a short, thin 13 year old who, except for a few minor facial Irregularities, looks and kcts like most normal kids. He lives with his natural family and regularly at tends school, receiving remedial teaching in mathematics and Bngllsh. But Billy, although that isn't his real name, is not like other kids. He was among the first children in the United States diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a disorder typically characterized by mental retardation and a variety of phy • sical abnormalities. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Aware ness Week is being observed • January 12-18 by the National Council on Alcoholism, the March of Dimes and other health organiza tions, among them Charlotte Treat ment Center, an alcoholism and chemical dependency treatment center. James Emmert, Executive Director of the center, said the week • has been designated to alert preg nant women to the dangers of al cohol consumption on their unborn children. "Although we’re not for or against drinking generally, we do want the public to have information about the effects of alcohol and alcoholism,” says Emmert. As a result of his mother’s drink • ing during pregnancy, Billy’s eyes are narrow, his nose is flatter and shorter than normal, and his mouth is wide, with irregularly shaped teeth and an open bite. Billy was among a group of 11 FAS children who were studied in the early 1970s by a group of doctors headed by D. W. Smith and Kenneth Lyons Jones. A pediatri cian who was responsible for iden tifying the fetal alcohol syndrome with his colleagues in 1972, Dr. Jones helped start and now over sees the California Teratogen Registry. L.iKe its counterparts in other states, the registry is set up to provide research and information to pregnant women and physicians about the effects of chemical sub ' stances on the unborn. FAS, which is termed a syndrome because it is a pattern of malfor mations having a single identifiable cause, affects one to two infants per 1,000 live births, according to Jones. While alcohol consumption is well known as the cause, no one knows how much damage is done to the fetus in proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed. Nor does any interferes The first trimester, which occurs before many women know they are pregnant .^appears to be the interval when developing organs are vul nerable to damage, according to the Natiohal Clearinghouse for Alcohol Information. Researchers have found evidence to support an association between alcohol con sumption and an increased inci dence of spontaneous abortion during the second trimester, al m though It is not known whether miscarriage is due to first or se cond trimester drinking. Drinking may interfere with the rapid growth that occurs during the third tri mester, including growth of the brain. Because of these unknowns, the U.S. Surgeon General has recom mended that women completely ab stain from drinking during preg nancy. rk Jones, who said even modest drinking can be detrimental, is currently conducting research on the effect* of binge drinking on unborn babies. The National Council on Alcoholism advises women who are urged by friends to “live It up" before their baby is born to answer, “You are not drinking for two.” Similarly, the March of Dimes tells pregnant women that “every time you take a drink, your baby takes one too. The drink he gets is just as strong as the one you get, and because he is so much smaller than you are, it hits him a lot harder ” Says Jones, "We know that chronic alcoholism among pregnant women leads to difficulties in . 44 percent of their offspring. Of these births, fetal alcohol syndrome af fects about 11 percent of the infants born to women who drink one to two ounces of absolute alcohol per day. That translates to two to four ounces of whiskey, two to four glasses of wine, or two to four 12-ounce cans of beer a day.” FAS, which the Public Health Service says afflicts 1,800 to 3,600 babies each year, is the third most recognizable cause of mental re tardation in the United States, ranking behind Down’s syndrome and spina bifida. However, FAS is the only one of these disorders that can be prevented. Simply put, if alcoholic beverages are not consumed during pregnancy, FAS will not occur. FAS can manifest itself in any combination of a cluster of con genial birth defects, among them: -Prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, with low weight at birth and a failure to thrive and catch up throughout the entire developmental period. -A particular pattern of facial malformations, including small head circumference, narrow eye openings, flattened midface, a short upturned nose with a sunken nasal bridge, a smooth and elon gated philtrum (the groove be tween the nose and upper lip), and a thin upper lip. -Central nervous system dysfunc tion, which can include varying degrees of mental retardation (Jones says FAS children have an average I.Q. of 60), alcohol with drawal symptoms at birth, a poor sucking response and sleep dis turbances during early infancy, restlessness and irritability, de velopment delays, a short attention span, and hyperactivity. -Varying degrees of malforma tions in the body’s major organs, including heart defects, muscle pro blems, joint and skeletal defects resulting in an inability to flex fingers and extend limbs, genital defects, and kidney Abnormalities. **Billy S'.'was one ofUfc motf^ fortunate of the 11 children studied 'f by Jones apd'Jiis colleagues. One 10-year-old boy, for example, is ex tremely thin and short and has been hyperactive to the point of destruction since birth. He lives in a foster home, cannot read or write, and has always attended classes for the trainable mentally retarded. Of the original 11 children, two have since died, one has been lost to follow-up, and the remaining eight continue to be growth deficient and dysmorphic, according to a study by Jones and his colleagues published this year. The children followed up were “strikingly underweight for their height,” the study noted. None of the children had normal intellectual development,' with four of them mildly handicapped and the other four seriously handicapped. “The single factor that stands out most in the backgrounds of the four seriously handicapped children is that three of them had mothers who were so severely alcoholic that they died of alcohol-related causes within six years of the birth of these children,” the report stated. ! SPECTACULAR 1 'SHOWING SPECIAL PRICES FRIDAY, JANUARY 17th SATURDAY, JANUARY 18th Our inventory will be complemented by many other garments from our manufacturer in New York for this ‘ special event. Compare quality then compare our prices. WaL r~r •Mtitlaf . . . I •>' Jk» nifltli invillnf . . . milk a Sbamflmt Jar. 40th Anniversary Layaway for NEXT . SEASON * I ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED Karen Byers was recently named an Outstanding Young Woman of America for 1985. This recognition highlights the accomplishments Ms. Byers has made in her professional career and in her community involvement. An insurance agent with Allstate Ms. Byers was highly involved in the Concord area, where she formerly resided. She now lives in Charlotte. She has received service awards from Phi Chi chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Winston-Salem State University, her alma mater, and from the Concord community. An athletically involved young woman, Ms. Byers works with Special Olympics, is an offociate for the NCAA. Division II, volunteered her services to J.C. Smith major ettes. teaches gymnastics, baton twirling, and ethnic dance classes. She has been a former beauty contestant and winner of the Charlotte contest of Miss Black America in 1977, the local contest of Miss Cabarrus and she has also choreographed and directed the first Miss Black Cabarrus Rowan County contest. Ms. Byers is also affiliated with the Arts and Science Council. Frequently she is a guest speaker at the First Christian Church in Concord and she also conducted a Christian youth clinic there. Employees Continued From Page 1A formance?” Once employed and on the job, employees should be given periodic performance appraisals. When per formance is unsatisfactory, Helms j suggests letting the person know exactly where he or she stands. Point out to unsatisfactory employ ^ ees,. that you*\youldn’t be keeping ’tfidm on the payroll if you didn’t think they could-do the job. Tell them specifically what they can do to improve, and offer your help to those who show a desire to do better. Should it become necessary to terminate an employee because of poor performance, use Helms' checklist as a guide: -Was the employee aware of the performance problem and what was needed to correct the problem? -Was the employee given enough time to correct the problem? -Was he or she aware of the consequences of continued unsatis factory performance? -Was this case treated in a man ner consistent with other similar cases? ' -Was the decision to terminate the employee based solely on work performance and not on anything of a discriminatory nature, such as race, age, or the sex of the em ployee? There will always be some em ployees who don’t make the grade. Tlie key to dealing with personnel, whether satisfactory or not, says Helms, is fairness and consistency. SHAZADA Records & Tapes “Your Uptown Record Store” 331-7077 Top Chart LP 12” Disco, Rock, 45’s ! Countpry^Imports & Gospel 121 E. Trade St. GOOD NEWS GOOD PEOPLE GOOD CHOICE THIS BOOKLET CAN CHANCE THE MAY YOU PLAN TORAY FOR COLLEGE. THE NEW GI BILL PLUS THE NEW ARMY COLLEGE FUND CAN BE WORTH UP TO $25,200 TOWARD YOUR COLLEGE EDUCATION Here's how it works: first you contribute to your education — $100 per month for the first full 12 months of your enlistment. Then the government contributes— up to $9,600 That's the New G.l Bill With the New Army College Fund, you can add up to $14,400 more! (See table below) j m ^*€W0l lU _ °'"J COUiGIfUW l 2yr,n HOOP $ 17 iW V *r»r. H0.BQP >22 HOC I SICMOP SIS.ICC I And the rewards of being a soldier go far beyond earning money for college You 11 also learn self-reliance, discipline team-work and pndc So when you d< > ge to coliege, you'll be able to get the most out of it. F bar more information about this ness program and how you can qualify for it, | see your local Army Recruiter today F Or call toll free 1-800-USA-ARMY You 11 find out that paying for college ^ through the Army pays off in more ways v than one ARMY. BE ALL YOU CAN BS Black Women’s Health Care Conference Set Did you know...that infant mortality rates for blacks are twice as high as for whites,...that cervical cancer rates are increasing among blacks while decreasing among whites...that approximately 30 per cent of black women suffer from high blood pressure... that pregnan cy rates for black teenagers are estimated to be twice as high as for white teens? These are some of the health problems facing black women today, and they are problems that will be addressed in a two-day black women’s health care conference at the Greenville Neighborhood Center, 1330 Spring Street, Friday and Saturday, January 24-25. The theme of the conference is ‘‘A Black Woman’s Health Challenge: Informed-In Charge-In Control." and its purpose is to inform black women concerning the health care resources that are available to j them, to help them develop effec tive self-help approaches to health ; care, and to help them establish and maintain dialogue with health care providers. Sponsored by the women's or ganization that subscribe to Blue print: Charlotte Women in the 'HOs. the conference will begin on Friday evening with a dinner and an address by Byllye Y. Avery, executive director of the Atlanta Black Women's Health Project Her topic will be, "Taking Charge of Your Health.” Workshops on Satur day will focus on these topics: "Black and Female: What Is the Reality?” and "Strategies for Start ing a Self-Help Program ” Work shop leaders will be Lillie Allen and Sharon Gary-Smith, also from the Atlanta Black Women’s Health Project. During lunch on Saturday, there will be a panel discussion led by local health care providers on J teenage pregnancy. The cost of the conference will be I $12 for both days, $7 for Friday only, I and $5 for Saturday only. Limited scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis For registration information and more details, call the Women’s Com mission office, 336-3210, weekdays between 9 a m and 5 p.m. One of the goals of the con ference will be to help organize a local black women’s health project, a self-help group that will meet regularly to discuss and compile information about health issues affecting black women It is hoped that the establishment of this group will provide a comfortable, sup portive atmosphere where black women can explore health issues, improve their well-being, and par ticipate in a national network addressing health care concerns. THIS COULD BE YOUR YEAR Write for free list of self-help materials. New self-help plans especially for you Print your name and address on card or letter to: O.M. WARNER, BOX62362, LOS ANGELES, CA 900062 MOVING? Don't forget to pack . . . The Charlotte Post We give you news about many surrounding areas. .Speak Spanish Now $995 Booklet with 598 everyday words and sentences in Spanish and Englsh. 80 minute cassette gives you correct Spanish pronuncia tion so you can’t miss. Learn to spoak Ike a native? Yes. you can. It’s fast and oasy. cftiedl to* O.M. Warner, P.0. Box 62362, LA., CA 90062. YOU WXL RECEIVE YOUR COURSE BY RETURN MAIL (CP) _ CCIRTIS C. REEVES, M.D. =_^<3 Doctor of Ophthalmology Eyes Examined For Glasses, Contact Lenses, Cataract & Laser Surgery NEW Medicare Cataract Surgery Program No overnight stay No out of pocket cost Curtis C. Reeves, MX). CALL ABOUT OUR FREE Doctor’s Building CATARACT SCREENING Kings Drive Program Charlotte, N.C. -- 233-07*9
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 16, 1986, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75