Neurocognitive and behavioral profile of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of cognitive deficit in developed countries and can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). This term encompasses a wide range of physical, mental, behavioral, and cognitive effects that result from damage caused by exposure to alcohol during intrauterine life. Alcohol consumption among the general population is common in Eastern European countries and especially among women at risk of social exclusion, who are the ones who lose or give up custody of their children. A high number of these children are adopted in Spain and many of them present neurocognitive and behavioral disorders, causing FASD to be a public health problem in our country. In many occasions this clinical spectrum is delayed or under-diagnosed due to the overlapping of neuropsychological symptoms caused by the abandonment. A neurocognitive and behavioral profile specific for FASD has not been defined and all the symptoms are common to other etiologies. The aim of this work is to review the neuropsychological profile in the diagnosis of FASD.