[Embryonal alcohol syndrome ]

The permanent alcohol abuse of a pregnant woman is of high risk for the embryo especially during the first weeks of pregnancy. It is prerequisite to the embryonic alcohol syndrome that the ethylalcohol passes the placenta. Subsequently hypotrophic infants with multiple malformations of minor and major quality are born. Part of the malformations are characteristic, part of them are unspecific for the disease. They altogether represent the entity of the embryonic alcohol syndrome. Occurrence and intensity of the disease depend on the daily quantity of pure alcohol, especially during the first month of pregnancy, on the level of non-metabolized ethylalcohol in the mother's blood, and on the stage of the maternal alcohol disease according to Jellinek. To prevent the embryonic alcohol syndrome means to prevent the maternal chronic alcohol abuse.