Since Lamps and Mirrors is a speculative fiction blog, I
thought we could engage in a little speculation exercise today.
Imagine, if you will, a world where the single most common
birth defect is a horrible, debilitating disorder. This irreparable defect manifests itself in
many ways. For some, it results in physical
deformation; sometimes slight, sometimes significant. For others, it results in crippling mental
disorders, including developmental delays and mood disorders. This defect prevents the sufferers from understanding
cause and effect. Their mental age is
roughly half their physical age, and that’s at the most.
For the most unlucky, it results in a combination of
physical and mental defects.
There is no therapy to make this defect go away. No surgery to correct it. No treatment will ever repair it, not even
the most advanced technology there is.
Imagine also that this birth defect, while impossible to
repair, is one hundred percent preventable.
You might be imagining a world like that in the movie
Gattaca, where people can order genetic designer babies with absolutely no
defects. No, this scenario is much
simpler than that. Instead, imagine that
doctors have developed technology that will guarantee that no baby will ever
suffer this particular birth defect. It
is the simplest thing in the world: all that a pregnant woman has to do is
carry a small, powerful box that prevents the defect.
She has to carry it with her every day. She has to have it on her person at every
moment, from conception to delivery. As
long as she has this box, she will be guaranteed that her baby will not develop
this devastating disorder.
Imagine further that this technology is provided to women
absolutely free of charge. There is no
cost. There’s no excuse not to get one
of these anti-defect boxes, because there are free anti-defect box vending
machines spaced every three feet no matter where you are in the world.
It’s practically a paradise; a world where mothers have
total control over protecting their children from this one particular birth defect,
no matter what.
Now imagine that there is a woman who decides not to use one
of these boxes. It’s scientifically
proven that her baby will be born with this disorder if she does not carry the
box with her at all times. Even if she
puts it down for just one day, her baby could suffer serious consequences.
But she doesn’t want to use this box. None of her friends have to carry a box
around. Life is so much more fun without
the box. Still, she feels guilty about
not using the box, so she tries to use it at least occasionally. This still won’t protect her baby. Every time she goes a day without the box,
her baby becomes worse and worse. Even
hours without the box can hurt the baby.
She doesn’t like the box.
She can’t take it to parties.
Plus, being pregnant is stressful, and not using the box helps her to
relax.
Imagine this world.
This world where the single most common birth defect is the only
completely preventable one. Now imagine
that mothers everywhere are refusing to do what will prevent it, for whatever
reason.
Open your eyes. This
is not the Twilight Zone. This is not
speculation.
This is our reality, and it’s
our reality today. The only thing
speculative about this is the anti-defect box. In reality, the answer is not a magical box; it's abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the single most common
birth defect in the world. It, and birth
defects caused by other substance abuse, are the only birth defects which are
one hundred percent preventable.
The only ones.
And all that the mother needs to do is not drink any
alcohol. It’s totally free. There is no excuse for drinking while
pregnant. Not because it makes you uncomfortable at parties, not because
drinking relieves stress, not because it’s inconvenient.
Everywhere, women know that drinking hurts their
babies. Everywhere, there are women who
still choose to drink while pregnant. Everywhere,
babies are being born into a lifetime of disorder and distress because their
mothers couldn’t stop drinking alcohol for forty weeks.
September is FASD awareness month. And even though we are moving into October,
this is something we cannot forget during the rest of the year. Encourage
the women in your life not to drink while pregnant. Tell the women (pregnant or not) who suffer
from alcoholism or other substance addiction that they can overcome their
addictions. Help and support them. Encourage them. They can’t undo the drinking they’ve done already
during their pregnancy, but they can prevent their baby’s FASD from becoming
worse than it already is. Tell them that
they are valuable and loved, and that you will help them while they struggle
against their addiction. Help them get
through their pregnancies without one more drop of alcohol, one more puff of
marijuana, or one more line of cocaine.
For those women who have FASD children, whether biological
or adopted, help and encourage them in their struggle to help their child have
as normal a life as possible. For the
guilt-ridden woman who drank during pregnancy, offer forgiveness and aid. Befriend any children and adults who suffer
from FASD. Let them know that they are
valuable and loved.
Together, we can prevent FASD and be a balm to the hurt of
those who already suffer.
It’s not speculative.
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| Image courtesy of www.mofas.org |
Learn more about FASD at these websites:
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In the comments, give a shout-out of support all those who suffer from FASD and addiction.
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