The ill effects of alcohol consumed during pregnancy causes a pattern of mental and physical defects in some unborn babies, known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome was named in 1973 by two dysmorphologists, Kenneth Lyons Jones and David W. Smith of the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle.

In the United States, there are more babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome than HIV or Downs Syndrome. A child born with FAS may be seriously handicapped, possibly requiring a lifetime of special care. Most of the disabilities of FAS are caused by a pregnant woman consuming alchohol between the 10th and the 20th week of pregnancy.

Alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system problems. People with FAS have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of these. FAS is a permanent condition and affects every aspect of an individuals life.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is a term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual. FASDs include FAS as well as other conditions in which individuals have some but not all of the clinical signs of FAS.

In the United States, FAS rates range from 0.2 to 1.5 per 1000 live births. Other FASDs are believed to occur approximately three times as often as FAS.

FASDs are preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Fathers can play an important role by encouraging mothers not to drink. In 1989, the U.S. Congress passed a legislation that made it mandatory for warning labels to be placed on all alcoholic beverage containers. In 2005, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy to raise public awareness. It is expected that such steps will contribute to a reduction in the number of cases of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum.