HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An organization in the area is putting the spotlight on the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
28/22 News has more on its efforts in Luzerne County to increase education and community support.
A crying baby fills the inside of Pathway to Recovery Counseling and Education Services in Hazleton on Monday. The noises are coming from dolls, bringing awareness to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
“FASD is a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder,” said Eileen Panzarella, prevention director, Pathway to Recovery Counseling & Edu. Services.
Eileen Panzarella and Jeanette Ovens work in the prevention department at the center. They are shedding light on the disorder that is observed during the month of September.
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“It is the ninth month of the year and there are nine months of pregnancy, so we’re bringing awareness of not drinking alcohol while a person is pregnant,” said Panzarella.
An estimated 1 in 100 babies have FASD, which can impact newborns both mentally and physically.
“It would be a small, premature baby. Its neck could be really short and the ears would be malformed usually,” said Jeanette Ovens, prevention specialist, Pathway to Recovery Counseling & Edu. Services.
According to the Institute of Medicine, alcohol causes more harm to a fetus than drugs such as cocaine or heroin, so the center focuses on prevention for all ages.
“We like to go to high schools and let students know that drinking alcohol is not a good thing for the baby,” said Panzarella “They think how could this, which most people have in their homes, can be so dangerous?”
By taking activities like a spinning wheel to schools and throughout the community, they hope to spread awareness about the severity of the issue.
“The mothers, maybe they don’t understand, maybe they say it’s okay to have one or two glasses of wine or beer, but actually it’s not,” said Ovens
The Pathway to Recovery Counseling and Education Services will have an information table where you can learn more about FASD at the Laurel Mall on September 23, or visit their website Pathway to Recovery (pathway-to-recovery.org).
