A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYND ROME .1. PEDIATRIC RESULTS

The interdisciplinary long-term and cross-sectional study presented he re investigated the developmental course of a large cohort of children who were diagnosed in early childhood as having Fetal Alcohol Syndrom e (FAS) and followed-up through adolescence. The investigation spans t en years and assessed pediatric morphological parameters as well as so cial and family history data. Although the study revealed that there w as a tendency for the characteristic clinical traits of FAS to diminis h in the long-term, microcephaly and small stature did not change in a large number of children well into adolescence. The generally poor sc hool careers reflected the persisting teratogenic effects of maternal alcoholism on the development. Enviroment and education cation evident ly cannot be considered to be strong compensatoy factors.