Toward Understanding and Treating Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders

Abstract

Prenatal alcohol exposure is capable of causing birth defects and central nervous system impairments. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) describes the range of effects that can occur in individuals whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy. This article presents a framework for understanding, diagnosing, and treating the full range of developmental outcomes for children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.