Iowa Moms-to-be Need Health Tips

A woman who treats drug-affected children says the state of Iowa needs to do more to tell pregnant women of the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Diane Pinneke (pin’-uh-kee) is clinic director at “Orchard Place” — a center in Des Moines which treats over 100 troubled kids. She’s worked in other states which use billboards and public service announcements to warn of the danger of drinking while pregnant, and Pinneke says there must be more of that sort of thing in Iowa. “Fetal alcohol syndrome” is evident at birth, but there are other kids who Pinneke calls “fetal alcohol affected.” For example, “fetal alcohol affected” kids will know how to do simple math one day, and then not know how to add or subtract the next day. Pinneke (pin-uh-kee) says teachers, as a result, have to be flexible — and unflappable. Pinneke says unfortunately, many “fetal alcohol affected” kids are misdiagnosed as having “attention deficit disorder.”