FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME ON THE RISE

The number of babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome increased 600 percent between 1979 and 1993, according to a Centers for Disease Control report released today. The number jumped from one per 10,000 in 1979 to 6.7 per 10,000 in 1993 alone. Researchers do not know for certain whether this is because more women are drinking alcohol during pregnancy or because doctors are doing a better job of diagnosing the problem. Symptoms of the syndrome, which was first described in the mid-1970s, include mental retardation, abnormal facial features, central nervous system problems, behavioral difficulties and growth deficiencies.