Alcohol and acetaldehyde readily cross the placenta and can cause fetal demise and/or spontaneous abortion.
A surviving infant of an alcohol-abusing mother is likely develop some combination of neurodevelopmental and cognitive abnormalities, which are referred to as fetal alcoholism spectrum disorder (FASD).
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) generally refers to the more severe form of FASD, and occurs in 5% of children of alcohol-abusing mothers.
Individuals with FAS often have intellectual disability, microcephaly, low birth weight, dysmorphic facial features (mid-face hypoplasia, flat nasal bridge, an absent philtrum, small palpebral fissures, and an epicanthal eye fold), an atrial septal defect, and syndactyly. They suffer from attention deficits, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and seizures.