Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Assessing Teratogenic Changes in a Zebrafish Model of Fetal Alcohol Exposure
10:07

Assessing Teratogenic Changes in a Zebrafish Model of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

Published on: March 20, 2012

Eye malformations in children with heavy alcohol exposure in utero

Elizabeth Y Flanigan1, Sofia Aros, Maria Ferraz Bueno

  • 1Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|June 24, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children exposed to heavy prenatal alcohol but without fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) show no increased risk of eye abnormalities. Eye exams are unlikely to diagnose alcohol-related damage in these cases.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is associated with significant ophthalmologic defects.
  • The risk of eye abnormalities in children exposed to high levels of alcohol prenatally but without FAS is not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, but without FAS, exhibit eye abnormalities.
  • To determine if eye examinations are useful for diagnosing alcohol-related damage in children not meeting FAS criteria.

Main Methods:

  • Screened pregnant women for alcohol consumption (> 2 oz absolute alcohol/day).
  • Followed 43 exposed offspring and 55 controls (ages 4-9 years) with masked, standardized ophthalmologic examinations.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in visual acuity, refractive errors, ptosis, epicanthal folds, or short palpebral fissures between groups.
  • Normal biomicroscopy in exposed subjects; cataracts found in 4% of controls, none exposed.
  • Arterial tortuosity observed in 16% of exposed and 15% of controls; optic nerve hypoplasia absent in all.

Conclusions:

  • Ophthalmologic risks associated with prenatal alcohol exposure appear limited to children diagnosed with FAS.
  • Children exposed to high levels of alcohol prenatally who do not develop FAS do not present with increased eye abnormalities.
  • Eye examinations are unlikely to aid in diagnosing suspected alcohol-related damage in children without FAS.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Quantification of Ethanol Levels in Zebrafish Embryos Using Head Space Gas Chromatography08:22

Quantification of Ethanol Levels in Zebrafish Embryos Using Head Space Gas Chromatography

Published on: February 11, 2020

The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders19:57

The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Published on: August 5, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...