Fetal Alcohol Syndrom
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Thirty years ago, scientists linked prenatal alcohol exposure with a perplexing pattern of birth defects including neurological problems, low birth weight, mental retardation and a set of facial malformations. Scientists coined the term "fetal alcohol syndrome" or FAS to describe this pattern of birth defects. Up to that time, many doctors had assumed that alcohol was so harmless that it was sometimes administered intravenously to women who were thought to be at risk of losing their pregnancies. Today, FAS remains the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation. Through modern technology and research methods, scientists have discovered that alcohol can be remarkably toxic, more than any other abused drug, to developing fetuses. New research with imaging techniques is helping experts uncover which parts of the developing brain are damaged by alcohol exposure. By pinpointing the damaged areas, they are beginning to understand the origins of the problem behaviors and learning disabilities linked to alcohol.
FAS is defined by four criteria: maternal drinking during pregnancy; a characteristic pattern of facial abnormalities; growth retardation; and brain damage, which often is manifested by intellectual difficulties or behavioral problems. Investigators have used both passive and active methods to determine the overall incidence of FAS. The passive approach uses data collected from existing medical records, which are often based on information recorded at birth...