Neuropsychological Effects at Early School Age of Fetal Alcohol Exposure of Varying Duration

A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was performed with forty-six 5- to 9-year-old children exposed to alcohol in utero for varying durations. The children were subdivided according to duration of maternal alcohol abuse, as follows: during trimester I (n = 16), during trimesters I and II (n = 16), and throughout pregnancy (n = 14). A control group (n = 26) consisted of unexposed children. Fetal alcohol exposure throughout pregnancy had significant, diffuse effects on the development of the children, whereas exposure only during early pregnancy did not. Observed cognitive deficits included problems in naming, receptive language, attention, and visual-motor functions. Verbal and visual memory and manual motor precision did not significantly differ between the groups.