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

Study unveils genetic pathway leading to cleft lip and palate formation

Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects, occurring in about one in 1,050 births in the United States.

17 Apr 2025

Swedish study highlights prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Out of 206 fourth-grade students, 19 met criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This was found in a pilot study conducted at the University of Gothenburg.

4 Apr 2025

Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that parents who struggle with alcohol use disorders can pass along symptoms of early aging to their children, affecting them well into adulthood.

8 Aug 2024

Short-term alcohol abstinence worsens gut health in alcohol use disorder patients

A study published in PLoS ONE found that short-term abstinence from alcohol in AUD patients exacerbates gut dysbiosis and increases mental distress, contrary to expected improvements.

14 Jun 2024

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

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Overview

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders FASD Treatments

Latest Fetal Alcohol Syndrome News and Research

Study unveils genetic pathway leading to cleft lip and palate formation

Swedish study highlights prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Short-term alcohol abstinence worsens gut health in alcohol use disorder patients

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

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Overview

Latest Fetal Alcohol Syndrome News and Research

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

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