SCIENTIFIC NEWS THE ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT: CAN WE MITIGATE FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER WITH ANTIOXIDANTS?

t is estimated that 46 % of women consume alcohol.1 Given that approximately half of pregnancies are unplanned there is a potential of 23 % of babies being unknowingly exposed to alcohol. It is known that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can potentially result in a child having fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). In the full presentation, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) may be the clinical result. FAS alone affects 1-4 of 1000 live births.2,3 Children with FASD are less likely to be diagnosed than children with FAS because they rely on confirmation of the mother drinking in pregnancy and these children do not exhibit the pathognomonic facial changes