A preliminary investigation of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on facial morphology in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alcohol exposure during pregnancy has been associated with altered brain development and facial dysmorphology. While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is not specifically related to distinct facial phenotypes, recent studies have suggested certain facial characteristics such as increased facial masculinity and asymmetry may be associated with ASD and its clinical presentations. In the present study, we conducted a preliminary investigation to examine facial morphology in autistic children with (n = 37; mean age = 8.21 years, SD = 2.72) and without (n = 100; mean age = 8.37 years, SD = 2.47) prenatal alcohol exposure. Using three-dimensional facial scans and principal component analysis, we identified a facial shape associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in autistic children. However, variations in the alcohol-related facial shape were generally not associated with behavioral and cognitive outcomes. These findings suggest that while early exposure to alcohol may influence the development of facial structures, it does not appear to be associated with ASD phenotypic variability. Importantly, although these findings do not implicate a role for prenatal alcohol exposure in the etiology of ASD, further research is warranted to investigate the link between prenatal alcohol exposure and facial morphology differences among neurodevelopmental conditions. •Alcohol use during pregnancy has been linked to changes to facial structures.•We examined the link between prenatal alcohol use and face shapes in ASD.•Early alcohol exposure was related to a distinct facial shape.•However, alcohol use was not related to clinical presentations in ASD.