Neuropsychological disorders in children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy: a follow-up study of 24 children to alcoholic mothers in Göteborg, Sweden

Abstract

This paper reports on a follow-up study of 24 children to alcoholic mothers at 12 to 14 years of age. The mothers were offered support to help them stop drinking during pregnancy and was grouped to time point of instituted sobriety. Six of the 24 children attended a school for the mentally retarded, and 11 children had some kind of special education. The children have difficulties in mathematics, logical conclusions, visual perception, spatial relations, and short-range memory/attention. Sixteen children were in fostercare. A clear correlation between the occurrence and severity of neuropsychological problems and the degree of alcohol exposure in utero was found.