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.

中文翻译：

---

对自闭症谱系障碍儿童的产前酒精暴露对面部形态影响的初步调查。

怀孕期间饮酒与大脑发育和面部畸形改变有关。尽管自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）与不同的面部表型没有特定关系，但最近的研究表明某些面部特征，例如面部阳刚度增加和不对称性可能与ASD及其临床表现有关。在本研究中，我们进行了一项初步调查，以检查（n = 37；平均年龄= 8.21岁，SD = 2.72）和没有（n = 100；平均年龄= 8.37岁，SD = 2.47）的自闭症儿童的面部形态。产前酒精暴露。使用三维面部扫描和主成分分析，我们确定了自闭症儿童与产前酒精暴露相关的面部形状。然而，与酒精有关的面部形状的变化通常与行为和认知结果无关。这些发现表明，尽早饮酒可能会影响面部结构的发育，但似乎与ASD的表型变异无关。重要的是，尽管这些发现并未暗示产前饮酒与ASD的病因有关，但仍需进行进一步的研究以调查产前饮酒与神经发育状况之间面部形态差异之间的联系。