Protection against Prenatal Alcohol-Induced Damage

Abstract:  Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most common, nongenetic cause of mental retardation, and has a significant national health impact. Meeting the criteria for this condition requires the identification of specific features, involving craniofacial dysmorphology (particularly midfacial anomalies), growth retardation, and deficits in brain function. Most children with alcohol-induced prenatal deficits do not have this full syndrome, but, instead, they fall under the umbrella term of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). These disorders result from prenatal alcohol exposure, and the sequelae include specific neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders. Recent reports suggest that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders affect one out of 100 children born in the United States. There have been numerous public health approaches to alerting women to the dangers of drinking during pregnancy—includin g warning labels appearing on alcoholic beverages in 1989, and a US Surgeon General warning issued in 1981 (updated and reissued in 2005) urging women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol ( http://www.hhs.gov/s urgeongeneral/pressr ​eleases/sg0222200 5.html ). Yet despite these warnings, alcohol use during pregnancy is common, with up to 50% of women of childbearing age consuming alcohol, 15%–20% acknowledging continuing to drink when pregnant, and one in 25 pregnant women reporting binge drinking. Citation: Spong CY (2006) Protection against Prenatal Alcohol-Induced Damage. PLoS Med 3(4): e196. doi:10.1371/journal. pmed.0030196