Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Effects on Brain Structure and Function

285 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a devastating developmental disorder resulting from heavy maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, was first identified in France in 1968 (Lemoine et al. 1968) and in the United States in 1973 (Jones et al. 1973). FAS can be readily diagnosed shortly after birth when characteristic facial features and growth retardation are present, coupled with known prenatal alcohol exposure. Not as obvious at birth—but with more serious, pervasive, and lifelong consequences—are the effects of alcohol-induced damage to the developing brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system (CNS). Problems that become apparent later include reductions in general intellectual functioning and academic skills as well as deficits in verbal learning, spatial memory and reasoning, reaction time, balance, and other cognitive and motor skills. Some deficits, like problems with social functioning, appear to worsen as these individuals reach adolescence and adulthood, possibly leading to an increased rate of mental health disorders.