Infants of mothers who drink regularly during pregnancy may show poor vision by the age of 6 months. Prenatal alcohol exposure is known to put babies at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a cluster of problems such as poor growth, delayed mental development and unusual facial features. Since it is unclear as to what amount of alcohol puts the developing fetus at risk, women who are pregnant or might become pregnant are advised to avoid drinking. In a recent study, many of the babies with vision problems, also had FAS. In addition, the vision damage was found primarily among babies born to women of age 30 years or older. Exactly why a mother's age might matter is unclear, but it might be related to the fact that older women are likely to have been habitually drinking for a longer time. Researchers from the Children's Hospital Boston, USA conducted a study involving 131 South African women and their 6-month-old babies. The researchers asked the women about their drinking habits around the time of conception and during pregnancy. They also gave the babies special tests that gauge the sharpness of infants' vision. The women were poorly educated, and more than half said they drank during pregnancy. The more they drank, the higher was the risk of their baby having poor vision. Nearly 17 percent of the babies had FAS, and of these, 27 percent had vision test scores near the bottom for their age as compared with 9 percent of babies without FAS. Ten babies who were not diagnosed with FAS also showed poor vision, and in many of these cases, their mothers admitted to heavy drinking during pregnancy. The exact reason for the poorer vision, whether alcohol-induced damage to the eye's retina, or vision-related areas of the brain, is unknown. It's also unclear, whether the effect is permanent. The vision test used in this study could be a useful tool for spotting some of the harmful effects of prenatal drinking. Screening of babies born to relatively older women could be particularly useful, since they may be at greater risk of vision problems from alcohol exposure.
Journal of Pediatrics,
October 2005