Discriminating the Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure From Other Behavioral and Learning Disorders

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Claire Coles, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2011-01-01
• Publisher: Us National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: Unless otherwise noted in the text, all material appearing in this journal is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. Citation of the source is appreciated.
• License: Creative Commons Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
• Final Published Version (URL): https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh341/toc34_1.htm
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Alcohol Research and Health
• ISSN: 1535-7414
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 42
• End Page: 50
• Keywords: behavioral disorders; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; alcohol effects; INFORMATION; prenatal alcohol exposure; neurodevelopmental effects; Science & Technology; Fetal alcohol syndrome; FETAL ALCOHOL; DIAGNOSIS; ATTENTION-DEFICIT; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; developmental disorders; learning disorders; CHILDREN; DEFICIT-HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER; REACTION-TIME; fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; INDIVIDUALS; ADULTS; diagnosis; SPECTRUM DISORDERS; Substance Abuse
• Research Categories: Biology, General; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are underdiagnosed in general treatment settings. Among the factors involved in identifying the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are (1) the evidence for prenatal alcohol exposure; (2) the effects of the postnatal, caregiving environment; (3) comorbidities; and (4) differential diagnosis, which includes identifying the neurodevelopmental effects of alcohol and discriminating these effects from those characterizing other conditions. This article reviews findings on the neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, including learning and memory, motor and sensory/motor effects, visual/spatial skills, and executive functioning and effortful control. Encouraging clinicians to discriminate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure from other conditions may require more education and training but ultimately will improve outcomes for affected children.