It has long been known alcohol affects the development of a fetus, but scientists in Australia have now discovered a more direct link between alcohol during pregnancy and signs of developmental difficulty.

The study, published in PLoS Genetics, sites even moderate alcohol consumption as being a main factor in child development not only in the womb but into adulthood. The study, carried out at the Queensland Institute of Medical Reserch, focused on which genes were turned on and off when alcohol was consumed. This area of research is called epigenetics, and it carries the answers to a number of questions about the effects of drug use and addiction. 

Scientists showed, through studies with pregnant mice, that consuming alcohol during the first trimester can alter epigenetic information, preventing proteins from being formed that would help develop physical traits. In mice, the primarily different trait was fur color. This may seem like an insignificant factor, but the color of skin or fur is very important to survival of animals.

Mice that consumed alcohol gave birth to dark-furred offspring. Following this information, scientists further found skull malformations were common in baby mice with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is the same trait often exhibited in humans with the same condition. 

Fetal alcohol syndrome in humans can lead to growth problems, lack of brain development and changes to the shape of the skull. As we learn more about the genes turned off when alcohol is consumed, we being to better understand the recommendations made to pregnant women seeking a healthy fetus and healthy child.