Prospective study of children exposed to variable amounts of alcohol in utero.
Forty children exposed to variable amounts of alcohol in utero and 40 control children were studied. All mothers had been enrolled in an antenatal programme aiming to identify and reduce alcohol use and abuse during pregnancy. Follow up was at the median age of 22 (18 to 27) months. A significant reduction in intrauterine growth was seen in children born to alcoholic mothers. Three of six children continuously exposed to high amounts of alcohol throughout fetal life showed growth retardation and physical abnormalities characteristic of fetal alcohol exposure, while infants whose mothers had stopped drinking did not suffer these effects. Psychological or behavioural disturbances were found in all but one of 13 children born to alcoholic mothers. The home environment during the first two years did not compensate for the effects of fetal alcohol exposure. Mothers classified as excessive drinkers but not abusers all reduced their alcohol consumption after the first trimester. Their children did not differ from controls with regard to physical development or behaviour but many were retarded in speech and, in addition had a more unstable family background.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Little, R. E., Northstone, K., Golding, J., ALSPAC Study Team,
(2002). Alcohol, Breastfeeding, and Development at 18 Months. Pediatrics
109: e72-72
[Abstract] [Full Text]
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in ADC Online
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
