Alcohol exposure during pregnancy and its impact on fetal neurodevelopment: a bibliometric and scientific mapping analysis.

Alcohol consumption per capita is increasing, particularly among women of reproductive age. When consumed during pregnancy, it can induce spontaneous abortion and changes in neurodevelopment as it is a compound with high teratogenic potential. Studies have been performed to describe the effects of maternal-fetal alcohol exposure. This review aimed to identify and map knowledge about alcohol exposure during pregnancy and its effects on fetal neurodevelopment, based on an analysis of the 100 most cited articles. To achieve this goal, we performed a comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection database, employing a search strategy that included terms related to alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The evaluated studies reported that there are no safe doses of alcohol exposure during pregnancy or by women trying to get pregnant, that the effects of alcohol intake are proportional to the dose and modality of exposure, that these damages occur in different brain regions, and that these effects are related to the period of neurodevelopment.