THURSDAY, Aug. 12, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Diagnosis early in life and a stable and nurturing environment help improve the likelihood that people with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE) can avoid problems, says a University of Washington study.
The study of 415 people with FAS or FAE examined numerous negative and positive factors that can affect them. An early diagnosis and a stable, nurturing environment were the two most important factors in helping these people avoid problems such as criminal activity, inappropriate sexual behavior, disrupted education, and trouble with drugs or alcohol.
"This is the first study to show that despite the prenatal brain damage caused by their mothers' consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, these children can grow up to have relatively more successful lives," researcher Ann Streissguth, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said in a prepared statement.
"Our interviews with the caregivers of our study subjects, who ranged in age from 6 to 51 years, showed that the odds of escaping these adverse life experiences are improved two- to fourfold by being diagnosed with FAS or FAE at an early age and by being raised in a good stable environment," she said.
The study appears in the Aug. 12 issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about fetal alcohol syndrome.
