Abstract
BackgroundObservational studies have generated conflicting evidence on the effects of moderate maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy on offspring cognition mainly reflecting problems of confounding. Among mothers who drink during pregnancy fetal alcohol exposure is influenced not only by mother’s intake but also by genetic variants carried by both the mother and the fetus. Associations between children’s cognitive function and both maternal and child genotype at these loci can shed light on the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on offspring cognitive development.MethodsWe used a large population based study of women recruited during pregnancy to determine whether genetic variants in alcohol metabolising genes in this cohort of women and their children were related to the child’s cognitive score (measured by the Weschler Intelligence Scale) at age 8.FindingsWe found that four genetic variants in alcohol metabolising genes in 4167 children were strongly related to lower IQ at age 8, as was a risk allele score based on these 4 variants. This effect was only seen amongst the offspring of mothers who were moderate drinkers (1–6 units alcohol per week during pregnancy (per allele effect estimates were −1.80 (95% CI = −2.63 to −0.97) p = 0.00002, with no effect among children whose mothers abstained during pregnancy (0.16 (95%CI = −1.05 to 1.36) p = 0.80), p-value for interaction = 0.009). A further genetic variant associated with alcohol metabolism in mothers was associated with their child’s IQ, but again only among mothers who drank during pregnancy.
Highlights
The public health burden associated with alcohol use includes any adverse outcomes experienced by children whose mothers used alcohol during pregnancy
Because we do not know the relative contributions of maternal and fetal enzymes in metabolising alcohol in fetal life and it is likely that both contribute to overall alcohol exposure, we studied the effects of both maternal and child genotype on childhood cognitive outcomes
Ethics Statement Ethical approval came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents And Children (ALSPAC) Law and Ethics Committee (IRB 00003312) and the four Local Research Ethics Committees (LREC), Southmead, Frenchay and Bristol and Weston Health Authorities
Summary
The public health burden associated with alcohol use includes any adverse outcomes experienced by children whose mothers used alcohol during pregnancy. A recent systematic review of findings from observational studies found no consistent evidence of adverse effects from low-tomoderate prenatal alcohol consumption [2], as did an even more recent study of a population based cohort examining this issue [3,4].Interpreting observational evidence on effects of maternal alcohol use on offspring outcomes is complicated by the issue of confounding. Complete abstinence from alcohol is often associated with other maternal characteristics that may adversely influence offspring outcomes [5] whilst moderate alcohol use is often associated with characteristics that may exert independent beneficial effects. Observational studies have generated conflicting evidence on the effects of moderate maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy on offspring cognition mainly reflecting problems of confounding. Associations between children’s cognitive function and both maternal and child genotype at these loci can shed light on the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on offspring cognitive development
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
