Alterações cognitivas decorrentes da exposição ao álcool durante a gestação: uma revisão sistemática de literatura

Abstract

Currently, alcohol is considered the most common teratogenic agent. The intrauterine exposure of this drug leads to a series of severe and permanent disorders, which can be functional or structural, depending on the pregnancy stage that the exposure ocurred. The alcohol affects the development of the nervous system and, in particular, causes disorders in the cognitive abilities. Objective: to determine the effects of the intrauterine exposure to alcohol in the cognitive abilities. Methodolgy: Systematic bibliographic review using the databases of PubMed and Lilacs, according to the PRISMA method. Results and discussion: Individuals exposed to alcohol during pregnancy presents inferior cognitive results in many areas. The higher the consumption and the frequency of alcoholic beverages, higher the cognitive deficits. However, the effect of light to moderate exposures is controversial. Conclusion: alcohol consumption during pregnancy must be avoided.