Alcohol-Related Neurobehavioral Disabilities: Need for Further Definition and Common Terminology

The adverse effects of alcohol on the developing human comprise a continuum of disabilities termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). In the current issue of Pediatrics, Hagan et al¹ discuss the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), of the American Psychiatric Association’s suggestion for inclusion of a new mental health diagnosis as part of this continuum; that is, neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (ND-PAE).² The present commentary addresses the definition of ND-PAE, how it intersects with the existing diagnostic categories of FASD (fetal alcohol syndrome [FAS], partial fetal alcohol syndrome [PFAS], alcohol-related birth defects, and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder [ARND]),³ and the need for ongoing research and development of common terminology for FASD.

ND-PAE is listed in DSM-5 as an experimental “Condition for Further Study,” and thus currently cannot be diagnosed. However, the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are also included...