ing cause of mental retardation. There may be mild to severe growth retardation including decreased birthweight and head circumference in addition to continued growth retardation for height, weight and head circumference. Children with FAS fail to ever catch up in growth during the preschool years and have a tendency to remain thin even though there is adequate nutrition. These children often have anomalies and deformed facial features such as short palpebral fissures, flat midface, thin upper lip, indistinct philtrum, epicanthal folds, low nasal bridge, minor ear anomalies, micrognathia, strabismus, ptosis of the upper eyelid, narrow receding forehead, and a short upturned nose (Hess and Kenner 2). In broader terms the face of a FAS child includes a small head; a small maxilla which is the upper jaw; short, upturned nose; smooth philtrum which is a groove in the upper lip; smooth and thin upper lip; and small slightly narrow eyes with noticeable epicanthal folds (http://www.adam.com/ency/article/0009111.sym.htm). In the American Journal of Public Health and article called Tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy and risk of oral clefts, described a study conducted to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy and oral clefts (Lorente, Cordier, Goujard and Ayme 1). First of all during the 6th through the 13th weeks of pregnancy, the roof and upper front of the mouth are developed by fusion of soft tissue and bony processes. Interruption or of this development may result in a group of disorders referred to as clefts. Proper eating and speech production relies on the normal development of the lip and hard and soft palates. Cleft lip and palates cause trouble with chewing, drinking, and swallowing behaviors and may require special attention. In the study the researchers found an increased risk of cleft palate associated with alcohol consumption during the first trimester (Lorente, Co...
