According to the findings of a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) annual meeting, alcohol consumption during the course of pregnancy may cause issues in the development of the baby’s brain. The MRI scans analyzed for the study revealed that even low to moderate levels of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can modify the baby’s brain structure and impair brain development.

In the study, researchers from the Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology at the Medical University of Vienna analyzed MRI exams of 24 fetuses with prenatal alcohol exposure. The fetuses included in the study were between 22 and 36 weeks gestation at the time of the MRI. A questionnaire was used to determine alcohol exposure. The questionnaires used were from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a surveillance project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health departments.

The findings of the study revealed that in fetuses exposed to alcohol, the fetal total maturation score (fTMS) was significantly lower than the control. The MRI scan also revealed that the right superior temporal sulcus (STS), involved in social cognition, audiovisual integration, and language perception, was shallower in exposed fetuses.

The researchers noted that brain changes were seen in the fetuses even at low levels of alcohol exposure. They explained that delayed fetal brain development could be related to a delayed stage of myelination and less distinct gyrification in the frontal and occipital lobes. They added that myelination is important for brain and nervous system function, while gyrification is critical for cognitive functions. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/alcohol-intake-during-pregnancy-can-cause-alterations-in-babys-brain-study/1251815/ )