Individuals exposed to alcohol during pregnancy exhibit a wide range of long-lasting impairments in neuropsychological and behavioral domains. Deficits include diminished intellectual function, poor learning and memory, impaired executive and visual-spatial function, delayed motor and language development, and attention difficulties. In addition, these children present with increased internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, poor academic achievement, and high rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Despite some inconsistencies, the extensive neuropsychological literature on children prenatally exposed to alcohol during pregnancy illustrates a pattern in which affected children perform relatively well on simple tasks but show greater impairment on more complex tasks that require processing of complex information and greater involvement of executive functioning (Kodituwakku, 2007). Recent efforts have begun to examine the specificity of these deficits through development of a neuropsychological profile of prenatal alcohol exposure that will aid in distinguishing affected individuals from other clinical populations. Continuing research comparing alcohol-exposed children to similar clinical groups will assist in the refinement this profile. Furthermore, greater understanding of the neurobehavioral impairments in children with prenatal alcohol exposure will help tailor intervention programs aimed at improving outcomes for this population.
