fetal alcohol syndrome

noun

1. a pattern of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy: considered as one of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. FAS

fetal alcohol syndrome

noun

1. a condition in newborn babies caused by excessive intake of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy: characterized by various defects including mental retardation

fetal alcohol syndrome

1. A syndrome of congenital defects caused by maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy and characterized by any of various abnormalities, including growth and mental retardation, cranial and facial malformations, and cardiac defects.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fetal alcohol syndrome¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Researchers studying three groups of people -- individuals with autism, those with fetal alcohol syndrome, and a "neurotypical" control group -- found that cognitive ability strongly influenced how well participants understood speech in noisy conditions.

Read more on Science Daily

They also argued that he suffered from frontal-lobe brain damage, potentially caused by fetal alcohol syndrome, that harmed his ability to plan and control his impulses.

Read more on Seattle Times

That trauma manifests itself in afflictions such as in utero trauma and fetal alcohol syndrome, which prevent many Indigenous youth from understanding the consequences of bad choices.

Read more on Seattle Times

Nonetheless, there are multiple documented instances in which children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome were born to mothers who denied that they consumed alcohol during pregnancy.

Read more on Salon

Kelly-Eve Koopman, a writer and social justice activist, said the Dop System had created a cycle of dependency, subjugation, poverty, abuse and high rates of fetal alcohol syndrome whose impact was still affecting communities today.

Read more on Reuters