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Studies indicate that
alcohol ingestion by pregnant women can have serious effects on
the developing fetus. The fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the most
serious of these effects, is often the result of heavy drinking
or "binge" drinking during pregnancy and may occur as frequently
as about one of 750 births. The symptoms include low weight at
birth and later growth retardation, small head circumference,
mental retardation, and, in many cases, congenital heart disease.
Less intense degrees of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy appear
correlated to more subtle defects that impact primarily on behaviour;
these include slow development, learning disabilities, and hyperactivity.
The most
important environmental factor related to the increased incidence
of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Smoking also significantly
increases the risk of heart disease, vascular disease, and emphysema.
Medical histories
indicate strong familial tendencies to increased susceptibility
to the effects of tobacco.
Rick
Weiss
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