Offspring of mothers using ethanol during pregnancy are known to suffer from
developmental delays and/or a variety of behavioral changes. Ethanol, may affect the
developing fetus in a dose dependent manner. With very high repetitive doses there is a
6–10% chance of the fetus developing the fetal alcoholic syndrome manifested by prenatal
and postnatal growth deficiency, specific craniofacial dysmorphic features, mental
retardation, behavioral changes and a variety of major anomalies. With lower repetitive
doses there is a risk of "alcoholic effects" mainly manifested by slight intellectual
impairment, growth disturbances and behavioral changes. Binge drinking may impose some
danger of slight intellectual deficiency. It is advised to offer maternal abstinence programs
prior to pregnancy, but they may also be initiated during pregnancy with accompanying
close medical care. The long term intellectual outcome of children born to ethanol
dependent mothers is influenced to a large extent by the environment in which the exposed
child is raised.