[Obstetrical and postnatal complications in children of chronically alcoholic mothers (author's transl)].

The histories of mothers addicted to chronic abuse of alcohol always present severe complications during pregnancy and for most of their children during the peri- and postnatal period as well. The question arises to what extent peri- and postnatal complications may influence the clinical aspect of the alcoholembryopathy (AE) in these children. In 35 children with AE all details of their histories could be traced. By using Prechtl's concept of optimal conditions two different populations could be found amongst the children with AE, one with and the other without severe peri- and postnatal complications (exclusively peri- and postnatal asphyxia). No correlation could be found between the severity of AE and perinatal asphyxia. The result suggests reservation in rating peri- and posnatal asphyxia as an always potent factor causing brain damage.