Monday, December 24, 2012

Low prenatal alcohol’s brain impact

Vanderbilt University Medical Center Reporter
Heavy exposure to alcohol during prenatal development frequently leads to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), with characteristic symptoms of growth deficiencies, cognitive dysfunction and facial abnormalities. Reductions in overall brain volume – and in specific brain regions – are a common finding among children exposed to high levels of alcohol during development. But the effects of low-to-moderate exposure are less clear.