Fetal alcohol syndrome: abnormal development of the central nervous systemand clinical phenotype.

Alcohol is much more slowly eliminated in the fetus than in the mother (< 5 0 %). The ethanol and its derivative the acetaldehyde have a constant dose- effect on the development of the nervous system central. The individual sus ceptibility to alcool teratogenic effect in utero is responsible of variabl e clinical phenotype. This teratogenicity is constant during all the develo pment of the central nervous system. The diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrom (FAS) associates three criteria: delay of pre- and postnatal growth, abnor mal development of the central nervous system, craniofacial anomalities. Ce rebral malformations are extremely variable, being to relate to the various stages of development of the nervous system central. Neurochimic abnormali ties interest mainly the mono-aminergic system. The backwardness is the bes t known consequence of SAF (34 to 851%). It is not constant. Facial dysmorp hic results of joint abnormalities whose none is pathognomonic but whose gr ouping Is evocative. Psychomotor instability is the most frequent expressio n on the behavioral phenotype. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.