[Mild forms of alcoholic embryopathy following excessive use of alcohol]

Within 15 years 171 children with fetal alcohol syndrome were diagnosed. Eight children showed an unusual low susceptibility to the harmful effects of alcohol in utero with mild expression of fetal alcohol syndrome or so-called alcohol effects, inspite of excessive maternal drinking (more than 180 gs alcohol per day). Increased tolerance of alcohol might be explained by two mechanisms: 1. By metabolic adaptation, mainly by swift increase of alcohol metabolizing; 2. by biochemical and structural adaptation at cellular membranes after chronic alcohol ingestion. The grade of severity in fetal alcohol syndrome does not depend on the amounts of alcohol but mainly on the development of metabolic and morphological tolerance and adaptation.