No Safe Pattern of Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy

Since the first clinical description of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) nearly 40 years ago, no prospective study has examined the effect of various patterns of prenatal alcohol exposure on risk for the major dysmorphic features associated with the syndrome (smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures, microcephaly, and growth deficiency). To explore this relation, researchers analyzed data from 992 pregnant women with a positive history of alcohol consumption during pregnancy who had enrolled in a prospective study conducted by the California Teratogen Information Service and Clinical Research Program. Data on exposure to 70 teratogens were collected at enrollment and every 3 months during pregnancy. A physical examinati…