Revised Guidelines Increase Specificity of Diagnostic Criteria for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Updated guidelines for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) refine diagnostic criteria that were previously issued in 2005. Neurobehavioral impairment, the main disability in FASD, is now required for diagnosis of three of the four FASD subtypes proposed by the Institute of Medicine. Also, domains of neurobehavioral impairment to be assessed are specified. Other improvements include a more detailed definition of prenatal alcohol exposure, a description of resources for reference data on prenatal and postnatal growth and guidance for evaluating craniofacial and other physical abnormalities characteristic of FASD. The validity of the updated diagnostic approach needs to be assessed to determine its accuracy and reliability for diagnosing FASD.