Maternal drinking behavior and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in adolescents with criminal behavior in southern Brazil.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can have serious and permanent adverse effects. The developing brain is the most vulnerable organ to the insults of prenatal alcohol exposure. A behavioral phenotype of prenatal alcohol exposure including conduct disorders is also described.

Prenatal alcohol exposure as a risk factor for dysfunctional behaviors: the role of the pediatrician.

Objective: Although the classic features of fetal alcohol syndrome have been recognized since 1968, research on alcohol teratogenesis has only recently demonstrated that the brain is the organ in the body most vulnerable to the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. In this present article, we reviewed the literature focusing mainly on behavioral disturbances related to prenatal ethanol exposure.

Sources: We performed a PubMed search on the literature published between 1968 and 2006 using the terms ethanol, pregnancy and behavior.

Prospective evaluation of pregnant women vaccinated against rubella in southern Brazil.

The rubella virus is a potent human teratogen. The highest risk of this infection occurs during pregnancy, as the virus may cause fetal damage known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Since the rubella vaccine is made with attenuated live virus, there is a high level of anxiety concerning exposure during pregnancy.

Reproductive risk factors related to socioeconomic status in pregnant women in southern Brazil.

To evaluate patterns of drug use during pregnancy and other potential reproductive risks in pregnant women, we applied a standard questionnaire to 412 pregnant women classified as low socioeconomic status (SES) or as middle/high SES, in two cities of South Brazil. 77% of the women used at least one medication during pregnancy. We observed significant differences, when comparing low SES and middle/high SES groups, for the following variables: teenage pregnancies (28.