by Claudia Boyd-Barrett posted in Pregnancy

As many as 1 in 10 children may have neurological problems because their moms drank alcohol during pregnancy, a much higher number than previously thought, according to a new study.
Scientists previously estimated fetal alcohol syndrome and related disorders affected only about 1 in every 100 kids. But new research published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests the problem has been underestimated.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders encompass an array of conditions related to alcohol exposure before birth. Some are mild learning or behavioral issues, while the most severe type ? fetal alcohol syndrome ? can lead to growth problems, abnormal facial features and damage to the nervous system. Sadly, there is no cure for these disorders, but early intervention treatment can help. The researchers evaluated almost 3,000 first-grade students in four regions of the United States and interviewed many of their mothers. They concluded that more than 200 of the children had fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and 27 children had the severest disorder. Yet only 2 kids had already been diagnosed, according to the study.
 
Following the evaluations, the researchers came up with two estimates. Conservatively, they calculated that between 1 and 5 percent of children in each region had a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The Rocky Mountains area had the greatest prevalence, while the Midwest had the lowest, t...