Asking difficult questions about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the context of the child, the mother, and the systems in which they live.

Alcohol is a known teratogen and prenatal alcohol exposure remains a major ongoing public health concern. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder has become the diagnosis for describing individuals who have been affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. In this Viewpoint, we raise major concerns about its continued use as a diagnostic term in how it perpetuates a misleading and outdated narrative about child development and maternal health.