Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC) Thursday opened the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Prevention Center for the first time in Asia to promote a healthy life for women and children.

The FAS causes physical anomalies and mental disorders in the fetus when mothers drink alcohol while carrying their children. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of alcoholic females was 17,000 and is growing by 1.6 percent a year on average.

Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital (EUMC) opened the first Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Prevention Center in Asia, in Mok-dong, southwestern Seoul, on Thursday.
Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital (EUMC) opened the first Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Prevention Center in Asia, in Mok-dong, southwestern Seoul, on Thursday.

Although FAS risk is increasing along with the rising number of females addicted to alcohol, few relevant studies in the nation are involved.

"It is not easy to overcome alcohol addiction alone, but raising awareness of FAS risk among the public can help our children in the future," said Kim Young-joo, president of Korea Women's Christian Temperance Union.

According to a study, "Global Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder among Children and Youth," 630,000 infants worldwide develop FAS annually. The study says that one in 13 mothers who drank during the pregnant period bears a child with FAS. Other studies report that children with the syndrome have an average of 34 years of life span.

An animal study conducted by the National Institute of Health also suggested that drinking before pregnancy increased the risk of fetal growth restriction and giving birth to giant babies. The rate of giving birth to giant babies also increased 2.5 times in high-risk drinking mothers.

"Women who plan to have a child or are pregnant should abstain from alcohol and quit smoking because if the fetus exposed to alcohol and tobacco may suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and metabolic diseases when becomes grownups," said Kim Young-ju, director of FAS Prevention Center. “We will develop this center as the guardian of babies’ life and health.”  

Also attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday were Ryu Kyung-ha, executive vice president for medical affairs at Ewha Womans University, Yoo Jae-doo, director of Medical Center, EUMC Professor Yi Sun-young.

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