Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe condition on the spectrum of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol during gestation. It is caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy and can produce craniofacial abnormalities, short height, low body weight, small head size, poor coordination, behavior problems resembling attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning, speech, and intellectual disabilities. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and a history of prenatal alcohol exposure and requires multidisciplinary evaluation, since only about 10 percent of those with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder show the associated facial features; the condition is lifelong, and prevention rests on abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy.