Fetal_Alcohol_Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol EffectsFetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects Prenatal alcohol exposure is a preventable cause of birth defects, including mental retardation and neurodevelopmental deficits. Since the initial recognition in 1968 of the multiple effects that alcohol can have on the developing fetus [1] and the subsequent delineation in 1973 of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), [2] it has become clear that prenatal alcohol exposure can be associated with a wide range of abnormalities. [3] More than 80% of children with FAS demonstrate prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, mild to moderate mental retardation, microcephaly, infantile irritability, and characteristic facial features. Fifty percent of affected individuals also have poor coordination, hypotonia, attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity, decreased adipose tissue, and other identifiable facial features. Additionally, 20% to 50% of affected children demonstrate a variety of other birth defects, including cardiac anomalies, hemangiomas, and eye and ear anomalies. [2,4,15,16] Even in the absence of growth retardation or congenital abnormalities, children born to women who drank alcohol excessively during pregnancy appear to be at increased risk for attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity, fine-motor impairment, and clumsiness as well as more subtle delays in motor performance and speech disorders. [4] These alcohol, syndrome, fetal, pregnancy, during, problems, fas, children, should, retardation, women, mental, et, al, fae, effects, consumption, birth, affected, safe, risk, prenatal, fetus, disorders, defects, behavioral, about, streissguth, social, possible, one, much, maternal, infants, exposure, estimated