A Child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alcohol is a common human teratogen that, when ingested by a pregnant woman, can produce a wide array of fetal complications. The fetus's developing brain seems most sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure: Alcohol-related brain damage can be quite diffuse, ranging from microcellular, neurochemical aberrations to macroscopic malformations (Stratton, Howe, & Battaglie, 1996). The neurological, cognitive, and behavior problems that arise from prenatal alcohol exposure are protean in their severity and diversity. Other prenatal determinants for example, genetic factors or teratogenic exposures that lead to specific conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities-can further affect the developmental outcome of a child prenatally exposed to alcohol. Aversive experiences after birth and throughout life also can have a profound influence on an individual's performance in these domains. Complexity in etiology and outcome is the rule, not the exception, in working with children who have been exposed to alcohol.