The fetal alcohol syndrome.

A specific pattern of malformation involving prenatal-onset growth deficiency, developmental delay, craniofacial anomalies, and limb defects is now recognized in offspring of chronic alcoholic women. Historical evidence suggests that this is not a new observation. A recent French study of 127 offspring of alcoholic mothers indicates that this specific syndrome has been recognized in other parts of the world. Many of the features of this disorder could be related to the kind of malorientation of brain structure seen at the autopsy of one patient described herein. The frequency (43%) of adverse outcome of pregnancy for chronic alcoholic women suggests that serious consideration be given to early termination of pregnancy in severely chronic alcoholic women.