Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Linked to Behavioral Ills: In Adolescents, Skills for Academic Achievement and Social Interaction Were Found to Be Greatly Impaired

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SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- The psychiatric and behavioral consequences of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on children are abundantly clear by mid-childhood and adolescence, based on studies presented at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism.

One study found that children exposed prenatally to alcohol were far more likely than their peers to meet the diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, tic disorders, and mood disorders by the time they were 8-14 years old.

Another study assessed social problem-solving skills and executive functioning in adolescents who were heavily …