[Stability in intellectual performance of students with fetal alcohol syndrome in children homes].

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) display great variability in their IQs during follow-up. The course of cognitive performance among twelve school girls aged 10 to 15 years with FAS who lived in foster homes of a chilean public organization for socially handicapped infants, was assessed by comparison of the results of Wechsler's psychometric test for children (WISC) which were done once and repeated 4 years later in the same patients. IQs were 7 to 13 points lower after 4 years in 7/12 girls, slightly better (4 and 6 points) in 2/12 and practically the same in 3/12 patients 1 to 3 points lower. Mean global IQs were 79.58 +/- 11.24 at year 1984 and 74.75 +/- 10.56 in 1988. This IQ reduction, even though not statistically significant, was deeper the more evident were the dysmorphogenic findings.