scholarly journals Twin study confirms virtually identical prenatal alcohol exposures can lead to markedly different fetal alcohol spectrum disorder outcomes-fetal genetics influences fetal vulnerability

2018 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Astley Hemingway ◽  
Julia M. Bledsoe ◽  
Julian K. Davies ◽  
Allison Brooks ◽  
Tracy Jirikowic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

scholarly journals Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Risk for Diabetes and Congenital Heart Defects

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-55
Author(s):  
Jenny Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Heart Defects ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Congenital Heart ◽  
Heart Defects ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Facial Features ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Excessive use of alcohol can be a cause for many disease and injury conditions. These include amongst many others, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, nonischaemic cardiomyopathy, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), congenital heart defects (CHD) and liver cirrhosis. Even low levels of prenatal alcohol  ethanol) exposure, such as in a single dose, can produce birth defects termed fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which is the highest marker on the spectrum. Diabetes is regarded as a major cause of cardiovascular disease whilst prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can range from no observable adverse effects to mortality. CHD are stated to be the most prevalent cause of mortality in individuals with FASD. The dimension of the problems is still greatest in the Western world although it is stated to be the leading cause of mental retardation in North America. FASD is a neurodevelopmental disability which can be occasioned when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. The diagnostic  criteria for FASD includes growth impairment, abnormal facial features and neurocognitive impairments. The most frequently reported abnormal facial features in FASD are thin upper lip, indistinct or smooth philtrum and short palpebral fissure length. Other features are microganthia, low set ears, ptosis, absent or indistinct philtral ridge, epicanthal folds, cleft palate, flat nasal bridge and midface hypoplasia. The neurocognitive features commonly reported in FASD are microcephaly, intellectual disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioural impairments. Central nervous system (CNS) injury is also seen and is debilitating. Structural abnormalities of the CNS can include microcephaly, agenesis/absence of the corpus callosum and multiple severe brain malformations. This review article seeks to address the association of FASD with diabetes and CHD.

scholarly journals A Brief History of Awareness of the Link Between Alcohol and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine M. Brown ◽  
Roger Bland ◽  
Egon Jonsson ◽  
Andrew J. Greenshaw
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cellular Growth ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
The Many ◽  
Historical Accounts ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Objective: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a medical term used to describe a range of mental and physical disabilities caused by maternal alcohol consumption. The role of alcohol as a teratogen and its effects on the cellular growth of the embryo and the fetus were not determined on scientific grounds until the late 1960s. However, the link between alcohol use during pregnancy and its harms to offspring might have been observed frequently over the many thousands of years during which alcohol has been available and used for social and other reasons. Methods and Results: Using sources ranging from the biblical Book of Judges (pre-1700) up until the first public health bulletin (1977), we seek to provide an overview of the academic debate around early historical accounts ostensibly attributed to the awareness of alcohol as a prenatal teratogen as well as to describe the social and political influences that sculpted developments leading to the public recognition of FASD. Conclusions: Our analysis provides a brief overview of the discourse regarding historical awareness of the detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development leading to the formal recognition of FASD as a distinct clinical entity. Further research will be required to fully appreciate the scientific, medical, and societal ills associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.

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