Teratogens including prescription medication, illegal drugs and alcohol can adversely affect a developing fetus and cause a variety of disabilities including vision and hearing loss. The degree of hearing and vision loss and the presence of additional complications varies depending on the type and dosage of the substance and the gestational age of exposure.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can result when an expectant mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy. Complications of FAS include microcephaly, intellectual and motor disability, pre- and post-natal growth deficiency. Hearing loss resulting from FAS can be either conductive or sensorineural in nature. Vision loss typically occurs as a result of optic nerve hypoplasia and myopia.