What kind of damage can occur to the fetus from alcohol consumption by the mother?
There are two degrees of damage that can occur. The most severe is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Study Group of the National Council on Alcoholism outlines minimal criteria for the diagnosis of FAS as being, “evidence of abnormalities in three specific areas: growth, central nervous system functions and facial characteristics.” Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) include less severe birth defects in the same areas. In both FAS and FAE, birth defects are caused when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy. FAS and FAE form the single largest class of birth defects that are 100 percent preventable.
