Among children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, deficits in attention are not global. Research suggests that prenatal alcohol exposure leads to differential deficits in visual and auditory attention; however, these findings have not been entirely consistent. Two studies revealed greater impairment in visual sustained attention in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure (Coles, Platzman, Lynch, & Freides, 2002; Mattson, Calarco, & Lang, 2006). In contrast, another study described more severe deficits in the auditory modality in adults (Connor, Streissguth, Sampson, Bookstein, & Barr, 1999). Discrepancies may relate to the tasks used or to the age of the subjects in these studies. Additional studies of attention in adults may provide clarification in this domain.
