A woman gives birth to a small infant with a malformed skull. The infant grows abnormally slowly and shows signs of substantial cognitive and intellectual deficits. The child also has facial abnormalities that become more striking as it develops. What might you expect to find in the mother's pregnancy history?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The infant's signs and symptoms are characteristic of fetal alcohol syndrome. Folic acid deficiency is associated with neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. Cocaine use is associated with some of the same signs and symptoms as alcohol use but does not produce the characteristic facial abnormalities of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Herpes simplex infection, although it is associated with microcephaly, hydrocephalus, defects of the eye, and hearing problems, also does not produce characteristic facial abnormalities.

A Woman Gives Birth to a Small Infant with a Malformed