BACKGROUND Although both fetal and long-term growth restriction are well documented in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, effects on pattern of growth trajectory have not been characterized. Furthermore, the degree to which growth trajectories are related to fetal alcohol-related neurocognitive deficits is unknown. METHODS Ninety-three heavy drinking pregnant women and 64 controls were recruit...

Many children suffer with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). These effects, which are physical, cognitive, and behavioral, although preventable, are irreversible. The following literature review examines the available information on FAS as well as other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), including diagnostic information and possible treatments. Information on FASD was used becau...

Number processing deficits are frequently seen in children prenatally exposed to alcohol. Although the parietal lobe, which is known to mediate several key aspects of number processing, has been shown to be structurally impaired in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), effects on functional activity in this region during number processing have not previously been investigated. This fMRI stud...

Dear Editor: Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the US and the third leading cause for Americans aged 15 to 24 years (1). In Canada, suicide rates are higher (2). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are common and preventable developmental disabilities with a prevalence of 1 in 100 (3). Previous reports suggest that individuals with FASD are at risk for suicide (4,5). An individ...

Regional cortical thickness was evaluated using CIVET processing of 3D T1-weighted images (i) to compare the variation in cortical thickness between 33 participants with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) aged 6-30 years (mean age 12.3 years) versus 33 age/sex/hand-matched controls, and (ii) to examine developmental changes in cortical thickness with age from children to young adults in bo...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) among first grade students (6- to 7-year-olds) in a representative Midwestern US community. METHODS From a consented sample of 70.5% of all first graders enrolled in public and private schools, an oversample of small children (≤ 25th percentile on height, weight, and head circumference) and r...

Gathering information about drinking during pregnancy is one of the most difficult aspects of studying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This information is critical to linking specific risk factors to any particular diagnosis within the FASD continuum. This article reviews highlights from the literature on maternal risk factors for FASD and illustrates that maternal risk is multidimensi...