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Intrauterine alcohol exposure during pregnancy results in fetal abnormalities. The full expression of these abnormalities (as craniofacial abnormalities, growth retardation, and impaired intellectual development) is referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and children who display some but not all features are said to have fetal alcohol effects (FAE). FAS occurs in approximately 1 per 1000 live births, and FAE in 3–5 per 1000. German researchers evaluated what happens to these children when they become adults.
Thirty-seven children were extensively evaluated 20 years after a diagnosis of FAS or FAE. Many of the craniofacial characteristics had disappeared, and at least some catch-up growth in height and weight (but not in head circumfere…