Research Assignment Paper About Developmental Disabilities (Essay Sample)

Case study Assignment
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Case Study Assignment
The developmental disabilities of a child could be associated with her mother's alcohol consumption habit during pregnancy. In the provided case, Abe has been diagnosed with developmental disabilities. His grandmother believes that is highly associated with her mother drinking during her pregnancy. An extensive range of researchers agrees with Abe grandmother notion that a wide range of congenital disabilities is associated with alcohol use among them is the developmental disability. In essence, the umbrella term that describes these defects is fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) (Catterick, & Curran, 2014). FASD includes Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which is probably the most serious defects that can occur when a pregnant women use alcohol substances (Catterick, & Curran, 2014). In some cases, FAS includes fetal death, and if not, serious defects such as facial characteristics that are abnormal and central nervous system dysfunction will be observed. Other FASDs includes alcohol-related birth defects as well as alcohol-related neurodevelopment disorders (Catterick, & Curran, 2014). In this paper, I choose to discuss how Abe's disability disorder may have been a result of central nervous system dysfunction that occurs during the embryonic period through birth.
Alcohol is probably the form of ethanol that is the most common recreational drug. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of the people consume alcohol at some stage in their life and 30% often develop alcohol-related disorders (Sacks et al., 2015). In order days, men were known to consume alcohol, but the pattern of drinking is changing everywhere across the world with more female drinking excessively even during pregnancy. Some believe that drinking moderately when pregnant will not affect the fetus. However, studies have shown that drinking of alcohol in whatever amount during pregnancy can lead to central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction (O'Neil, 2012). In essence, before the age of two years, it is difficult to determine CNS dysfunction, but at a later age, the deficit may be evident.
Essentially, CNS integrates sensory information and allows the body to react accordingly. It consists of the brain and the spinal cord, both working together to coordinate activities across the whole organism (O'Neil, 2012). The development of the child or prenatal development occurs in two stages, and CNS dysfunction may begin at any of the state (O'Neil, 2012). First, is the embryonic state that is comprised of eight weeks after the fertilization process and secondly, the fetal phase which is comprised of the remainder of the fetus development. The embryonic period is a critical period when the body plan of the child is laid out as well as the antecedent of what will become the organ system.
In our case, when Aby mother introduced alcohol at this critical stage, the repercussion is that the blastocyst implantation could be prevented in the uterus which essentially could results in increased resorption rates or a miscarriage (O'Neil, 2012). In the same period, gastrulation begins, and the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm are set, and it is within this period that neurulation occurs; thus the neural crest cell population is very vulnerable to any alcohol-induced damages (O'Neil, 2012). Additionally, the neural plate is formed in this period the anterior portion which gives rise to neuro-ectoderm and the tissues fated form CNS. From this point through the fetal stage, radial glia that gives rise to proper CNS becomes even more vulnerable to any effects of alcohol. Although, since, at this period, the antecedent of an organ system is determined, then the other minor effect of alcohol consumption would be abnormal facial features (O'Neil, 2012).
A wide range of research has documented significant cognitive, behavior, social and emotional impairment for children with CNS dysfunction. Cellucci and Benseler (2010), found that children with FAS particularly CNS will often show significant verbal and memory deficit. Similarly, Abel (2012) shows that children with FAS will be mentally disabled, but the degree of the deficit will vary. Other researchers have shown that children with FAS will have behavioral issues, including stubbornness, social withdrawal, and lack of independent skills; thus Abe grandmother could be right.
FAS, in general, can be difficult to diagnose since no blood test can determine the condition, not to mention, the symptoms often overlap with other conditions. Nonetheless according to Samuelson et al., (...