Fetal alcohol syndrome: a dilemma of maternal alcoholism

The existence of FAS can no longer be denied; reports of greater than 200 cases which fall into a phenotypically recognizable continuum justify its existence. At this point, however, it is probably prudent to withhold judgment of the specific human teratogenicity of alcohol until more refined information regarding dose-risk relationships are available not only from humans, but also from animal models, including primates. It may be that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, at this point, should be considered the Fetal Alcoholism Syndrome. At any rate, until much more is known, it would seem advisable to observe the Biblical admonition the "thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and (therefore now drink no wine or strong drink" (Judges 13:7).