The Library

Light drinking during pregnancy : still no increased risk for socioemotional difficulties or cognitive deficits at 5 years of age?

Tools

Kelly, Yvonne, Sacker, Amanda, Gray, Ron, Kelly, John, Wolke, Dieter, Head, Jenny and Quigley, Maria A.. (2010) Light drinking during pregnancy : still no increased risk for socioemotional difficulties or cognitive deficits at 5 years of age? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, Vol.66 (No.1). pp. 41-48. ISSN 0143-005X

PDF
WRAP_Wolke_Light_drinking_5_jech.2009.103002.full.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer.
Download (137Kb)

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2009.103002

Abstract

Background This study examines the relationship between light drinking during pregnancy and the risk of socioemotional problems and cognitive deficits at age 5 years.

Methods Data from the nationally representative prospective UK Millennium Cohort Study (N=11 513) were used. Participants were grouped according to mothers' reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy: never drinker; not in pregnancy; light; moderate; heavy/binge. At age 5 years the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) and British ability scales (BAS) tests were administered during home interviews. Defined clinically relevant cut-offs on the SDQ and standardised scores for the BAS subscales were used.

Results Boys and girls born to light drinkers were less likely to have high total difficulties (for boys 6.6% vs 9.6%, OR=0.67, for girls 4.3% vs 6.2%, OR=0.69) and hyperactivity (for boys 10.1% vs 13.4%, OR=0.73, for girls 5.5% vs 7.6%, OR=0.71) scores compared with those born to mothers in the not-in-pregnancy group. These differences were attenuated on adjustment for confounding and mediating factors. Boys and girls born to light drinkers had higher mean cognitive test scores compared with those born to mothers in the not-in-pregnancy group: for boys, naming vocabulary (58 vs 55), picture similarities (56 vs 55) and pattern construction (52 vs 50), for girls naming vocabulary (58 vs 56) and pattern construction (53 vs 52). Differences remained statistically significant for boys in naming vocabulary and picture similarities.

Conclusions At age 5 years cohort members born to mothers who drank up to 1–2 drinks per week or per occasion during pregnancy were not at increased risk of clinically relevant behavioural difficulties or cognitive deficits compared with children of mothers in the not-in-pregnancy group.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics
R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Psychology

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Pregnant women -- alcohol use, Cognition disorders in children, Emotional problems of children

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

Publisher:

BMJ Group

ISSN:

0143-005X

Official Date:

5 October 2010

Dates:

Date	Event
5 October 2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.66

Number:

No.1

Page Range:

pp. 41-48

Identifier:

10.1136/jech.2009.103002

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)

Grant number:

RES-596-28-0001 (ESRC)

References:

1. Jones KL, Smith DW, Ulleland CN, et al. Pattern of malformation in offspring of
chronic alcoholic mothers. Lancet 1973;301:1267e71.
2. Kelly Y, Sacker A, Gray R, et al. Light drinking in pregnancy, a risk for
behavioural problems and cognitive deficits at 3 years of age? Int J Epidemiol
2009;38:129e40.
3. Sayal K, Heron J, Golding J, et al. Prenatal alcohol exposure and gender differences
in childhood mental health problems: a longitudinal population-based study.
Pediatrics 2007;119:e426e34.
4. Streissguth AP, Sampson PD, Barr HM. Neurobehavioral dose-response effects of
prenatal alcohol exposure in humans from infancy to adulthood. Ann NY Acad Sci
1989;562:145e58.
5. Dex S, Joshi H. Children of the 21st century: from birth to 9 months. Bristol: The
Policy Press, 2005.
6. HM Government. Safe. Sensible. Sociable. The next steps in the National Alcohol
Strategy. London: Crown copyright, 2007.
7. Goodman R. The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a research note. J Child
Psychol Psychiatry 1997;38:581e6.
8. Goodman R. Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2001;40:1337e45.
9. Sood B, Delaney-Black V, Covington C, et al. Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood
behavior at age 6 to 7 years: I. Dose-response effect. Pediatrics 2001;108:1e9.
10. Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Sokol RJ, et al. Preliminary evidence of primary
socioemotional deficits in 7-year-olds prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp
Res 1998;22:61A.
11. Linnet KM, Dalsgaard S, Obel C, et al. Maternal lifestyle factors in pregnancy risk of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and associated behaviors: review of the
current evidence. Am J Psychiatry 2003;160:1028e40.
12. O’Connor TG, Heron J, Golding J, et al. Maternal antenatal anxiety and children’s
behavioural/emotional problems at 4 years. Report from the Avon Longitudinal Study
of Parents and Children. Br J Psychiatry 2002;180:502e8.
13. D’Onofrio BM, Van Hulle CA, Waldman ID, et al. Causal inferences regarding
prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood externalising problems. Arch Gen Psychiatry
2007;64:1296e304.
14. Richardson GA, Ryan C, Willford J, et al. Prenatal alcohol and marijuana exposure:
effects on neuropsychological outcomes at 10 years. Neurotoxicol Teratol
2002;24:309e20.
15. Elliott CD, Smith P, McCulloch K. British Ability Scales Second Edition (BAS II):
administration and scoring manual. London: NFER-Nelson, 1996.
16. Hill V. Through the past darkly: a review of the British Ability Scales Second Edition.
Child Adolesc Ment Health 2005;10:87e98.
17. Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe LJ, et al. Short screening scales to monitor
population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychol
Med 2002;32:959e76.
18. George A, Hansen K, Schoon I. Child behaviour and cognitive development. In:
Hansen K, Joshi H, eds. Millennium cohort study second survey: a user’s guide to
initial findings. London: Centre for Longitudinal Studies, University of London, 2007.
19. Panico L, Kelly Y, on behalf of the ETHINC team. Ethnic differences in childhood
cognitive development: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study (abstract).
J Epidemiol Community Health 2007;61:A36.
20. Fried PA, O’Connell CM, Watkinson MA. 60- and 72-month follow-up of children
prenatally exposed to marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol: cognitive and language
assessment. J Dev Behav Pediatr 1992;13:383e91.
21. Testa M, Quigley BM, Eiden RD. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant
mental development: a meta-analytical review. Alcohol Alcohol 2003;38:295e304.
22. Alati R, Macleod J, Hickman M, et al. Intrauterine exposure to alcohol and tobacco
use and childhood IQ: findings from a parental-offspring comparison within the Avon
Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Pediatr Res 2008;64:659e66.
23. Corrao G, Rubbiati L, Bagnardi V, et al. Alcohol and coronary heart disease: a metaanalysis.
Addiction 2000;95:1505e23.
24. Jacobson SW, Chiodo LM, Sokol RJ, et al. Validity of maternal report of prenatal alcohol,
cocaine, and smoking in relation to neurobehavioral outcome. Pediatrics 2002;109:815e25.
25. Alvik A, Haldorsen T, Groholt B, et al. Alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy
comparing concurrent and retrospective reports. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006;30:510e15.
26. O’Leary C, Zubrick SR, Taylor CL, et al. Prenatal alcohol exposure and language delay in 2-
year-old children: the importance of dose and timing on risk. Pediatrics 2009;123:547e54.
27. Sayal K, Heron J, Golding J, et al. Binge pattern of alcohol consumption during
pregnancy and childhood mental health outcomes: longitudinal population-based
study. Pediatrics 2009;123:e289e96.
28. Kelly YJ, Nazroo JY, McMunn A, et al. Birthweight and behavioural problems in
children: a modifiable effect? Int J Epidemiol 2001;30:88e94.
29. Sacker A, Quigley M, Kelly YJ. Breastfeeding and developmental delay: findings
from the Millennium Cohort Study. Pediatrics 2006:118;e682e9.
30. Waldfogel J, Washbrook E. Early years policy. Paper prepared for Sutton Trust-
Carnegie Summit: Social Mobility and Education Policy, 2008. http://www.
suttontrust.com/reports/summit_report.pdf (accessed 23 August 2010).
31. Day NL, Zuo Y, Richardson GA, et al. Prenatal alcohol use and offspring size at 10
years of age. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1999;23:863e9.
32. Spira EG, Fischel JE. The impact of preschool inattention, hyperactivity, and
impulsivity on social and academic development: a review. J Child Psychol Psychiatry
2005;46:755e73.
33. Pihlakoski L, Sourander A, Aromaa M, et al. The continuity of psychopathology from
early childhood to preadolescence. A prospective cohort study of 3e12-year-old
children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2006;15:409e17.
34. Goodman R, Ford T, Simmons H, et al. Using the Strengths and Difficulties
Questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for child psychiatric disorders in a community sample.
Br J Psychiatry 2000;177:534e9.
35. Klasen H, Woerner W, Wolke D, et al. Comparing the German versions of the
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Deu) and the Child Behavior Checklist.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2000;9:271e6.