Fetal alcohol syndrome: a paediatric clinical approach

Key words: Fetal alcohol syndrome, Alcohol, Mental retardation, Developmental disabilities

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a complex malformative condition due to the teratogenic effect of alcohol consumed during pregnancy. Several epidemiological studies have shown that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation in childhood. The effects of alcohol on the fetus range from abortion to a spectrum of clinical manifestations called FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) that include partial FAS (PFAS), neonatal alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND) up to the most severe disease defined as FAS.