A mutation of an enzyme gene seems to protect the fetus against alcohol consumed by the mother, according to a study of mothers and their infants. Lead researcher Dr. Sandra W. Jacobson told Reuters Health that \"our research has shown that about 20 percent of African American children are born to mothers with a particular genetic (mutation), which makes it less likely that maternal drinking during pregnancy will adversely affect their child\'s development.\" This mutation, she added, \"has been shown to be related to the speed with which alcohol is metabolized by the mother. Unfortunately, most African American as well as Caucasian children are not protected by this (mutation) and are, therefore, at risk of developing fetal alcohol effects if their mothers drink heavily or even moderately during pregnancy.\" In the Journal of Pediatrics, Jacobson of Wayne State University in Detroit and colleagues report on their study of 263 mother and child pairs. Two hundred fourteen of the women consumed alcohol during pregnancy.