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FAS, FAE: HIGH TOLL REPORTED
A recent study confirms that children suffering from
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or a milder syndrome
called fetal alcohol effects (FAE) are at high risk for
criminal conviction or other serious life problems.
Ann Streissguth et al. evaluated 415 patients with
FAS or FAE, and found that for adolescents and adults,
the lifespan prevalence for disrupted schooling was 61
percent. The lifespan prevalence for problems with the
law was 60 percent, and the prevalence for incarceration
or confinement in a psychiatric institution or alcohol/drug
unit was 50 percent. Nearly half of the subjects had
repeatedly exhibited inappropriate sexual behaviors, and
more than one-third had histories of alcohol or drug
problems. Early diagnosis and a stable environment
reduced these risks, but they still remained high.
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"Risk factors for adverse life outcomes in fetal alcohol syndrome and
fetal alcohol effects," A. P. Streissguth, F. L. Bookstein, H. M. Barr,
P. D. Sampson, K. O'Malley, and J. K. Young, Journal of
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Vol. 25, No. 4,
August 2004, 228-38. Addresss: Ann Streissguth, Dept. of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences, Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, University of
Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195,
astreiss@u.washington.edu.
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