Alcohol intake during pregnancy and timing of puberty in sons and daughters: A nationwide cohort study

Abstract

We explored whether maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy is associated with pubertal timing in sons and daughters. In total, 15,819 children, born 2000–2003 within the Danish National Birth Cohort, gave half-yearly, self-reported information on pubertal development (Tanner stages, voice break, first ejaculation, menarche, acne, and axillary hair) from 11 years during 2012–2018. Information on maternal average alcohol intake in first trimester and binge drinking episodes (intake of ≥5 drinks on the same occasion) in first trimester was self-reported by mothers during pregnancy. Average alcohol intake of 5+ weekly drinks in first trimester was not associated with pubertal timing in sons (with no alcohol intake as the reference). A tendency towards earlier pubertal timing was observed in daughters (-2.0 (95 % confidence interval: -4.2, 0.3) months) when combining the estimates for all pubertal milestones. Binge drinking was not associated with pubertal timing in neither sons nor daughters.