STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN CONNECTIVITY OF CHILDREN EXPOSED TO ALCOHOL IN UTERO: A BRAZILIAN HIGH-RISK COHORT SAMPLE

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may induce serious neurodevelopmental alterations in the fetus and cause life-long consequences. Alcohol is highly neurotoxic and easily crosses both the placenta and the fetal blood-brain barrier. PAE on brain development includes cell death, deficits in neuronal differentiation, migration, cell signaling, and brain plasticity-all of which can affect the development and establishment of brain connections.