Mechanisms of abnormal cardiac development in fetal alcohol syndrome

Lay Summary: Congenital heart defects affect the normal function of the heart in newborn and young infants, and often lead to death before the age of one year. Surviving infants often suffer major symptoms later in life. One of the major preventable causes of congenital heart defects is the consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy. As even a single drink during pregnancy can adversely affect the developing fetal heart, the development of therapies to prevent or treat alcohol-induced congenital heart defects is extremely important for the medical community.