Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

If you are pregnant and drink alcohol, so does your baby. This can hurt your baby's growth and cause life-long physical and behavioral problems. One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to a set of physical and mental defects that are caused by a mother consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders FASD Treatments

Screening for alcohol use disorder gets a diagnostic accuracy check-up

Study systematically reviews the effectiveness of various screening tools for alcohol use disorder (AUD) according to the DSM-5 criteria, highlighting the need for precise and reliable methods to identify individuals at risk across different demographics, including pregnant women and different age groups.

10 Apr 2024

Paternal alcohol consumption prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development

Researchers at Texas A&M University have already shown that paternal drinking habits prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development -; with semen from men who regularly consume alcohol impacting placenta development, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)-associated brain and facial defects, and even IVF outcomes.

13 Dec 2023

States reconsider religious exemptions for vaccinations in child care

More than half the children who attend Munchkin Land Daycare near Billings, Montana, have special needs or compromised immune systems.

3 Nov 2023

Male alcohol consumption before conception causes facial growth defects in offspring

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects in their unborn child.

12 Apr 2023

Brain organoids reveal how alcohol exposure impairs the development and functioning of new brain cells

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy poses significant peril to the healthy development of the unborn child. There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.

20 Nov 2022

The role of oxidative stress in congenital syndromes

Researchers discuss the role of oxidative stress in genetic conditions.

10 Oct 2022

MRI uncovers significant changes in the brain structure of fetuses exposed to alcohol

In the first MRI-based study to investigate pre-natal alcohol exposure, researchers found significant changes in the brain structure of fetuses exposed to alcohol compared to healthy controls. Results of the study are being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

1 Dec 2021

Pew announces support for the 2021 class of Innovation Fund investigators

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today the six pairs of researchers who will make up its 2021 class of Innovation Fund investigators.

15 Sep 2021

Study shows evidence-based interventions can improve infant brain health

In the world of neurodevelopment, one thing is clear: the earlier the intervention the better. Infancy is a critical time in brain development, and neuroscientists are increasingly identifying factors that can negatively impact cognition and ones that can improve cognition early in life.

15 Mar 2021

New research examines how alcohol exposure impacts aspects of neuroplasticity

New research and analysis examine how alcohol exposure impacts many aspects of neuroplasticity in a special issue of Brain Plasticity

11 Feb 2021

Miscarriage risk increases with each additional week of alcohol exposure in early pregnancy

Each week a woman consumes alcohol during the first five to 10 weeks of pregnancy is associated with an incremental 8% increase in risk of miscarriage, according to a study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers.

10 Aug 2020

New training manual designed to help health care providers diagnose fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Omar Rahman, M.D., director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute Department of Genetics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is part of a group that has created a training manual in both English and Spanish designed to help health care providers recognize and diagnose fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

11 Jun 2020

MRI reveals signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in the womb

New images reveal the earliest impairments to nonhuman primate fetal brain development due to alcohol ingested by the mother, in a study led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University involving rhesus macaques.

13 May 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Prepping for a possible pandemic

President Donald Trump has named Vice President Mike Pence to lead the nation's effort to combat COVID-19, the contagious disease from a coronavirus that originated in China and is spreading worldwide.

27 Feb 2020

Study highlights impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol and informs prevention efforts

Drinking in pregnancy can harm a developing baby. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) describes the range of effects that can be caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

5 Nov 2019

One-time exposure to cannabinoids during early pregnancy can impair fetal development

A new study published in Scientific Reports, a Nature Research journal, shows how a one-time exposure during early pregnancy to cannabinoids (CBs) – both synthetic and natural – can cause growth issues in a developing embryo.

5 Nov 2019

Acetate derived from alcohol metabolism directly influences epigenetic regulation in the brain

Triggers in everyday life such as running into a former drinking buddy, walking by a once-familiar bar, and attending social gatherings can all cause recovering alcoholics to "fall off the wagon."

24 Oct 2019

Ophthalmologists honored at AAO 2019 for exceptional service in medical and surgical eye care

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is honoring ophthalmologists who have improved eye care for millions worldwide through their commitment to their patients and their profession. The honorees will be recognized during AAO 2019, the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

15 Oct 2019

Alcohol exposure during pregnancy linked with dose-dependent increase in miscarriage risk

Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy -; even in small amounts -; have a 19% greater risk of miscarriage than women who don't use alcohol, according to a new study by Vanderbilt researchers.

9 Aug 2019

Essential nutrient may hold promise in the war against Alzheimer's disease

In a new study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute explore a safe and simple treatment for one of the most devastating and perplexing afflictions: Alzheimer's disease.

8 Jan 2019

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Overview

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders FASD Treatments

Latest Fetal Alcohol Syndrome News and Research

Screening for alcohol use disorder gets a diagnostic accuracy check-up

Paternal alcohol consumption prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development

States reconsider religious exemptions for vaccinations in child care

Male alcohol consumption before conception causes facial growth defects in offspring

Brain organoids reveal how alcohol exposure impairs the development and functioning of new brain cells

The role of oxidative stress in congenital syndromes

MRI uncovers significant changes in the brain structure of fetuses exposed to alcohol

Pew announces support for the 2021 class of Innovation Fund investigators

Study shows evidence-based interventions can improve infant brain health

New research examines how alcohol exposure impacts aspects of neuroplasticity

Miscarriage risk increases with each additional week of alcohol exposure in early pregnancy

New training manual designed to help health care providers diagnose fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

MRI reveals signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in the womb

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Prepping for a possible pandemic

Study highlights impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol and informs prevention efforts

One-time exposure to cannabinoids during early pregnancy can impair fetal development

Acetate derived from alcohol metabolism directly influences epigenetic regulation in the brain

Ophthalmologists honored at AAO 2019 for exceptional service in medical and surgical eye care

Alcohol exposure during pregnancy linked with dose-dependent increase in miscarriage risk

Essential nutrient may hold promise in the war against Alzheimer's disease

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Overview

Latest Fetal Alcohol Syndrome News and Research

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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