Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause a wide range of developmental and behavioral problems in children, including **restricted interests**, which are a hallmark feature often associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While the direct link between…

Alcohol is often overlooked or socially tolerated in many societies to protect cultural norms, despite its well-documented health risks. This phenomenon arises because alcohol consumption is deeply embedded in social rituals, traditions, and identity in numerous cultures worldwide, which can…

There is currently **no credible scientific evidence that combining alcohol and antidepressants causes autism**. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with complex genetic and environmental factors, but neither alcohol use nor antidepressant medication in combination has been shown…

Alcohol exposure can increase the severity of neurodevelopmental disorders related to autism, particularly when exposure occurs prenatally, but direct evidence that alcohol consumption after diagnosis worsens autism severity in children is limited and complex. The most well-established connection is through…

The surge in autism programs in schools is not directly caused by alcohol consumption but rather reflects a complex interplay of factors including increased awareness, improved diagnostic criteria, and broader definitions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current authoritative research and…

**Do alcohol-affected infants later test positive for autism?** The relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex and not straightforward. Infants affected by alcohol exposure in the womb are primarily diagnosed with fetal…

Alcohol consumption can impair brain connectivity in ways that share some parallels with the altered brain connectivity observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanisms, patterns, and implications differ significantly. Both alcohol use and autism involve disruptions in how…

The role of alcohol in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and often underexplored area in research, with evidence suggesting that it is not sufficiently addressed by many researchers. While autism is primarily a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences…

The question of whether alcohol studies misreport developmental outcomes is complex and multifaceted, involving issues of study design, measurement, interpretation, and the inherent challenges of researching alcohol’s effects on developing brains and behaviors. To explore this thoroughly, it is essential…

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can significantly alter brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience, and this alteration is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The relationship between PAE and…