Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder with Dr. Susan Rich

Dr. Rich highlights her journey of discovery that alcohol – our social drug of choice – has led to the incarceration of individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure who unwittingly commit unsophisticated crimes and are often left holding the bag in crimes they are duped into committing. According to the CDC, whereas 1 in 20 children in “middle America” are affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), 2 to 3 times that number are affected in communities of color. That means 1 in 10 to 1 in 7 Native American, African American, and Hispanic children have brain damage associated with prenatal alcohol. Much of the damage occurs in the late 3 rd to early 4 th week post-conception, before most women know they are pregnant. Males who use alcohol during preconception (up to 3 months before pregnancy) stages cause “methylation” effects in sperm DNA causing susceptibility to the embryo t alcohol exposure during the pregnancy. These “epigenetic” effects last for generations.

Susan is the author of  "The Silent Epidemic: A Child Psychiatrist’s Journey beyond Death Row"   You can find Susan online:  www.susandrich.com