Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: report of one case

Abstract

One seven-year-old aboriginal boy visited our outpatient department for survey of study difficulty. The physical examination revealed microcephaly, broad depressed nasal bridge, thin upper lip, smooth philtrum, epicanthal folds and clinodactyly. He also had mild mental retardation and abnormal findings on brain MRI. His mother had confirmed daily alcoholic consumption (72 to 144 gm) during pregnancy. Besides the short stature and microcephaly, the patient had developmental delay in language. According to the history, clinical presentation, and the finding of brain imaging, this case matches the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It seems reasonable to consider that some cases with the idiopathic developmental delay may fit in this disorder, thus suggesting the importance of total abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy.