Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with Hydrocephalus

Abstract

Exposure to alcohol in the fetal period leads to various structural abnormalities and is called as fetal alcohol syndrome. Cranial and facial anomalies are the common features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Microcephaly is frequently associated with fetal alcohol syndrome, but hydrocephalus may be rarely seen.

The female baby at a gestational age of 33 weeks and with a weight of 2000 g was born prematurely at our hospital from a mother of a foreign nationality. The baby had dysmorphic features and macrocephalus. The mother drank 1 L alcohol per day during pregnancy. The baby was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for prematurity, hydrocephalus, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

In our country, alcohol use in women, particularly pregnant women, is a very rare condition because of community rules and beliefs. In this report, we highlighted fetal alcohol syndrome and its coexistence with hydrocephalus.