FAS causes birth defects and affects a child s ability to learn, think, and move. Women who need help to stop drinking should speak with their clinicians or contact a local self-help program such as Alcoholics Anonymous . Addictive drugs can cause serious problems for the fetus and for the baby when it is born. Many babies go through painful withdrawal in the first few days of life. Many don t survive.
Many women know about rubella .
It s also called German measles. It can cause very serious birth defects. There is a vaccine against rubella. Not as many women know about the dangers of toxoplasmosis. It can cause miscarriage, brain damage, and blindness.