Although we have been aware that ethanol is a teratogen since the 1970s, there are still large numbers of children affected by PNEE (7). In part, this is because many women do not realize they are pregnant in the first trimester and continue binge drinking (8, 9). Furthermore, in many countries a significant percentage of pregnant women continue to consume ethanol throughout pregnancy – 10–20% in the USA, 40% in Uruguay, and 50% in some parts of Italy (10–12). In the United States, the lifetime cost for an individual suffering from FAS may be as high as $2 million. The majority of these costs are required for special education, medical, and mental health treatment (13). Currently in Canada, the annual cost of health care problems associated with PNEE is over $5 billion (14).
