Animal research has established that the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (e.g., Bonthius & West, 1990; Livy, Miller, Maier, & West, 2003; Maier & West, 2001). While neuroimaging data in humans have been less conclusive, some studies have shown vulnerability of the hippocampus to prenatal alcohol insult (e.g., Autti-Rämö et al., 2002; Willoughby, Sheard, Nash, & Rovet, 2008). Not surprisingly, a number of clinical studies have reported learning and memory deficits in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. These impairments range across specific aspects of learning and memory, including verbal and nonverbal skills.
