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Effects of alcohol consumption to the fetus during pregnancy Consuming alcohol during pregnancy has many harmful consequences to a fetus. As many as 12,000 infants are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a disease solely caused by the exposure of the fetus to alcohol during pregnancy. All cases of FAS are 100 percent preventable—if the mother does not drink while pregnant, the child cannot be afflicted with FAS. While there is only one cause for the syndrome, much potential damage can be caused to the child: physical abnormalities, mental disabilities, and social and behavioral problems. Physical abnormalities are the most obvious effect of the alcohol on the fetus Skeletal deformities can be caused by bone malformation during fetal development, resulting in deformed ribs and sternum, or a curved spine. Sometimes the child has bent, fused, webbed, or missing fingers and toes. Facial deformities are one of the main characteristics used for diagnosing the disease at birth. FAS infants typically have small eye openings, droopy eyelids, and