Kathy Mitchell did not stop being an alcoholic when she got pregnant with her daughter Karli. Now, Karli is 43 but with a developmental age of a first-grade child, caused by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
"Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD, covers a range of impairments from severe, such as Karli's fetal alcohol syndrome, to mild," says the report from The Washington Post. "Its effects can include impaired growth, intellectual disabilities and such neurological, emotional and behavioral issues as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, vision problems and speech and language delays." The disorder might also include physical characteristics such as smaller eyes, a thinner upper lip and a flat ridge between the nose and the upper lip.
The Washington Post also says that Kathy lives with Mitchell and stepfather, collects dolls and purses and loves Hello Kitty products such as coloring books and clothes. Her condition includes her inability to recognize social cues, lack of awareness of her environment and different situations, difficulty in following rules and sequences, and trouble with performing simple tasks like brushing her teeth.
"The guilt and remorse are painful, but it's even worse to think of what Karli might have been -- a nurse, like she wanted to be when she was 10, or a wife or mother?," Mitchell shared. The mother recognizes the fact that her precious child was not able to have a normal life because of her alcoholism during pregnancy.
Mitchell has overcome her alcoholism and is now the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome vice-president. She vows to do everything in her power to prevent other children from suffering the same fate as Karli.
Aside from alcoholic drinks, pregnant women should also avoid illegal drugs, certain over-the-counter drugs, smoking, second-hand smoke, paint fumes, household and garden chemicals, personal care products, junk food, raw meat, fish high in mercury and unpasteurized cheese, according to Pregnancy.org.
Hopefully, more pregnant women will be able to avoid drinking alcoholic drinks because Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can destroy a child's life and his or her future forever.
