| Keywords [eng] |
Fetal alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, mental health, cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders, secondary disabilities, central nervous system, alcohol, pregnancy |
| Abstract [eng] |
Background: Nearly five decades ago, the term fetal alcohol syndrome was documented for the first time. Since then, several studies have been investigating the link between maternal alcohol drinking during pregnancy and its impacts on the mental health of affected individuals. Aim: This review aims to provide a narrative approach to the scientific literature on the history, clinical presentation, pathology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of fetal alcohol syndrome from a psychiatry related perspective. Methods: an extensive search using the specific keywords was conducted on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and VU library online databases. Both full text and their abstracts were analyzed in this review, and only records containing related keywords in their abstracts or titles were selected. Date of publication was predominantly refined from 2000 to 2022, however due to the paucity of material focused primarily on this topic, earlier research was also analyzed. Results: the studies suggested that mental health problems are the most disabling consequence faced by patients with fetal alcohol syndrome throughout their lifetime. Its diagnosis and management have been stablished and tailored accordingly. Conclusion: The mechanism behind the development of neuropsychiatric conditions is still not completely understood, however, morphological damages to certain areas of the fetal brain, as well as the dose, frequency, and trimester of alcohol consumption, can all translate into the functional problems commonly seen in those patients. So far, the traditional diagnostic criteria are still used, and the management, which involves a multidisciplinary team, varies according to each patient's specific needs. |
