Perhaps the best-known outcome of prenatal alcohol exposure is the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which was documented in the medical literature over 40 years ago [2, 3]. Distinct facial characteristics, growth retardation and central nervous system anomalies were observed in offspring exposed to large amounts of alcohol in utero. However, a host of factors, such as alcohol dose and timing of exposure, nutritional status, and genetics, converge to affect the phenotype. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is the non-diagnostic, umbrella term used to refer to the entire continuum of outcome severity. Among the most serious consequences of in utero alcohol exposure are the effects on the brain and the resulting alterations in behavior and cognition. Importantly, these effects can occur even among individuals without all of the features of FAS [4, 5].
