Review shows that early foetal alcohol exposure may cause adverse effects even when the mother consumes low levels.

AIM: Studies are increasingly focusing on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on child health. The aim of this review was to provide paediatricians with new insights to help them communicate key messages about avoiding alcohol during pregnancy.

METHODS: Inspired by the 7th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, which focused on integrating research, policy and practice, we studied English language papers published since 2010 on how early PAE triggered epigenetic mechanisms that had an impact on the development of some chronic diseases. We also report the findings of a human study using three-dimensional photography of the face to explore associations between PAE and craniofacial phenotyping.

RESULTS: Animal models with different alcohol exposure patterns show that early PAE may lead to long-term chronic effects, due to developmental programming for some adult diseases in cardiovascular, metabolic and renal systems. The study with three-dimensional photographing is very promising in helping paediatricians to understand how even small amounts of PAE can affect craniofacial phenotyping.

CONCLUSION: Even low levels of PAE can cause adverse foetal effects and not just in the brain. It is not currently possible to determine a safe period and level when alcohol consumption would not affect the foetus.