Alcohol and fetal damage

Since the identification of fetal alcohol syndrome in the end of the 1960s, substantial evidence has accumulated on a number of adverse effects that alcohol consumption during pregnancy may have on the fetus. Long-term effects on child development has also been observed. Although the various types of effects are well documented, less is known about threshold levels of consumption, under which there is no risk of damage. Few studies have assessed the risk associated with high episodic drinking. From a theoretical point of view, binge drinking in critical stages in organ formation may constitute a particularly high risk for adverse outcomes.