| Abstract: | The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome represents a pattern of physical malformations observed in offspring of women who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Besides physical defects associated with in uteroexposure to alcohol, serious cognitive deficiencies, mental retardation in particular, are now recognized as the most serious consequence of alcohol consumption during prenatal development. The purpose of the present review is to examine the literature that bears upon the behaviorally teratogenic aspects of alcohol; specifically, research focusing on the following issues is synthesized: a) prevalence of alcohol abuse among women, b) acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the fetus, c) genetic susceptibility, d) neuropathology, e) correlative conditions, and f) animal studies. Implications for the field of special education are considered throughout the review. |
