A study of Italian children found an unexpectedly high prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), HealthDay News reported Aug. 28.

Europeans are often cited for their moderate drinking habits, particularly when compared with Americans. But researchers found that many Italian women drink at high-risk levels, and that FAS prevalence among Italian first-graders ranged from 3.7 to 7.4 per 1,000 -- higher than previous estimates of the disorder in Western Europe. The FASD rate also was high -- 20.3 to 40.5 per 1,000 children.

Mothers of children with FAS consumed an average of 16 drinks per week, researchers found.

"A common perception is that daily drinking with meals is less damaging to the fetus, and that this drinking pattern is the norm in Western Europe," said study author Philip A. May of the University of New Mexico. "While we have still not untangled or answered this relationship, our study results do show that there are individuals in Italy who drink heavily enough to produce a rate of FAS which needs our attention."

The research was published in the September 2006 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Reference:
Kodituwakku, P. et al. (2006) Neurobehavioral Characteristics of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Communities from Italy: Preliminary Results. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 30, 9,:1551.