Eye malformations in children with heavy alcohol exposure in utero.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether children who do not develop fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) despite heavy alcohol exposure are at risk for eye abnormalities.


METHODS
We screened 9628 pregnant women and identified 101 women who were drinking >/= 2 oz of absolute alcohol per day and 101 nondrinking control women. We followed 43 exposed and 55 control offspring between age 4 and 9 years, performing masked standardized ophthalomologic examinations.


RESULTS
The groups did not differ in their rates of impaired visual acuity, refractory errors, ptosis, epicanthal folds, or short palpebral fissures. Biomicroscopy examination was normal in all exposed subjects; cataracts were detected in 2 control subjects (4%) but in no exposed subjects. Arterial tortuosity was seen in 7 exposed subjects (16%) and in 8 control subjects (15%). Optic nerve hypoplasia was not detected in any subject.


CONCLUSIONS
Previous research has found that children with FAS have a high incidence of serious ophthalmologic defects; our data indicate that the risk is limited to children with FAS and does not extend to children exposed to high levels of alcohol prenatally who do not develop FAS. Eye examinations are unlikely to clarify the diagnosis in children suspected of having alcohol-related damage.
Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Elizabeth Y
EY
Flanigan
Sofia
S
Aros
Maria Ferraz
MF
Bueno
Mary
M
Conley
James F
JF
Troendle
Fernando
F
Cassorla
James L
JL
Mills
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005124:Eye Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity