Maternal Alcohol Abuse Research Articles

Neuroprotective effects of feeding Centella asiatica (L) Urb. – Study of hippocampal neurons in pups born to alcohol-fed female Wistar rats

Objectives: To evaluate the neuroprotective function of C. asiatica on the offsprings in maternal alcohol abuse. Centella Asiatica (C. asiatica) has been known to Indian traditional medicine Ayurveda as an effective brain tonic. Alcohol is an abused substance and poses a health risk to all in society, including pregnant women. We force-fed alcohol to pregnant rats and studied its effect on rat pups' hippocampus, which were fed with C. asiatica. The results were also correlated to the cognitive performance of the animals. Methods: Adult female rats, confirmed of pregnancy, were fed with 30% (w/v) alcohol at a dosage of 20g/kg body weight, daily oral gavage. The pups were divided into seven groups (n=6 each) as control and experimental/treated. Results: Hippocampus was isolated, and the slices were stained, and the cell count was done by applying appropriate techniques. The pup quality, cognitive parameters showed differences in alcohol-treated groups. The cell count was performed and compared among the groups. A significant increase in the cell count and the hippocampal neuron population's size was observed in the rats fed with C. asiatica extract. The pup quality was also better. Their cognitive performance was significantly better. Conclusion: This study revealed the adverse effects of fetal alcohol exposure, which reversed after treatment with C. asiatica. This study confirms the role of C. asiatica as an effective neuroprotective agent, and it could be useful to treat the patients suffering from the effects of exposure to alcohol in fetal life and early childhood.

Nutrition, growth, and other factors associated with early cognitive and motor development in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Food insecurity, poverty and exposure to infectious disease are well-established drivers of malnutrition in children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Early development of cognitive and motor skills - the foundations for learning - may also be compromised by the same or additional factors that restrict physical growth. However, little is known about factors associated with early child development in this region, which limits the scope to intervene effectively. To address this knowledge gap, we compared studies that have examined factors associated with early cognitive and/or motor development within this population. Predetermined criteria were used to examine four publication databases (PsycInfo, Embase, Web of Science and Medline) and identify studies considering the determinants of cognitive and motor development in children aged 0-8years in Sub-Saharan Africa. In total, 51 quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting on 30% of countries across the region. Within these papers, factors associated with early child development were grouped into five themes: Nutrition, Growth and Anthropometry, Maternal Health, Malaria and HIV, and Household. Food security and dietary diversity were associated with positive developmental outcomes, whereas exposure to HIV, malaria, poor maternal mental health, poor sanitation, maternal alcohol abuse and stunting were indicators of poor cognitive and motor development. In this synthesis of research findings obtained across Sub-Saharan Africa, factors that restrict physical growth are also shown to hinder the development of early cognitive and motor skills, although additional factors also influence early developmental outcomes. The study also reviews the methodological limitations of conducting research using Western methods in sub-Saharan Africa.

Barriers and Challenges to Service Delivery and Funding: A Case Study of a Nonprofit Organization in the Western Cape, South Africa

There is limited qualitative case research focusing on the underreported voices of black and coloured men and women employed at nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and living in underserved communities of South Africa. The purpose of this single case study, then, is to explore barriers and challenges to service delivery and funding at one specific NPO in South Africa’s Western Cape Province (WCP). To do so, I rely on observations and indepth semistructured interviews with 11 staff members. According to a majority of the staff, religion and race are the primary barriers that prevent the organization from achieving its goals and objectives. Moreover, they note that poverty and poor living conditions, child abandonment and neglect as a result of maternal alcohol abuse, and racial and cultural tensions are contextual challenges that inhibit organizational effectiveness. While these barriers and challenges are specific to this particular NPO, the contextual factors that staff identified are evident in other townships in the WCP. As such, the findings from this study add to the knowledge of NPOs in the WCP and provide insights into how to improve service delivery for low-income and underserved populations in the region.

The effect of the severity of parental alcohol abuse on mental and behavioural disorders in children

Many studies have shown that children of alcohol abusing parents have a higher risk for mental and behavioural disorders compared to other children. Using a retrospective population-based cohort study, based on health care and social welfare registers that include children born in Finland in 1997 and their biological parents, we evaluated whether the severity of parental alcohol abuse is related to these disorders in children. We examined (1) differences in the incidence of mental and behavioural disorders over time among the children of parents with no alcohol problems, parents with less severe alcohol problems and parents with severe alcohol problems, and (2) associations between mother’s and father’s alcohol abuse and children’s risk of disorders. Children were followed up until the age of 15. A diagnosis of mental or behavioural disorders during the follow-up was received by 15.4% of the boys and 9.0% of the girls. Both less severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.14–1.61) and severe alcohol abuse (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.11–1.49) in mothers increased the risk of these disorders in their offspring. The corresponding figures among fathers were HR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.92–1.54 and HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.32. Our results indicate that both maternal alcohol abuse and paternal alcohol abuse, regardless of severity, are associated with an increased risk of mental and behavioural disorders in children. It is crucial for professionals working with children to pay attention to all children whose parents have any alcohol abuse problems.

Heavy Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Alters Small Noncoding RNAs in Mouse Sperm and Epididymosomes

While the risks of maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy are well-established, several preclinical studies suggest that chronic preconception alcohol consumption by either parent may also have significance consequences for offspring health and development. Notably, since isogenic male mice used in these studies are not involved in gestation or rearing of offspring, the cross-generational effects of paternal alcohol exposure suggest a germline-based epigenetic mechanism. Many recent studies have demonstrated that the effects of paternal environmental exposures such as stress or malnutrition can be transmitted to the next generation via alterations to small noncoding RNAs in sperm. Therefore, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the effect of preconception ethanol on small noncoding RNAs in sperm. We found that chronic intermittent ethanol exposure altered several small noncoding RNAs from three of the major small RNA classes in sperm, tRNA-derived small RNA (tDR), mitochondrial small RNA, and microRNA. Six of the ethanol-responsive small noncoding RNAs were evaluated with RT-qPCR on a separate cohort of mice and five of the six were confirmed to be altered by chronic ethanol exposure, supporting the validity of the sequencing results. In addition to altered sperm RNA abundance, chronic ethanol exposure affected post-transcriptional modifications to sperm small noncoding RNAs, increasing two nucleoside modifications previously identified in mitochondrial tRNA. Furthermore, we found that chronic ethanol reduced epididymal expression of a tRNA methyltransferase, Nsun2, known to directly regulate tDR biogenesis. Finally, ethanol-responsive sperm tDR are similarly altered in extracellular vesicles of the epididymis (i.e., epididymosomes), supporting the hypothesis that alterations to sperm tDR emerge in the epididymis and that epididymosomes are the primary source of small noncoding RNAs in sperm. These results add chronic ethanol to the growing list of paternal exposures that can affect small noncoding RNA abundance and nucleoside modifications in sperm. As small noncoding RNAs in sperm have been shown to causally induce heritable phenotypes in offspring, additional research is warranted to understand the potential effects of ethanol-responsive sperm small noncoding RNAs on offspring health and development.

Nifedipine Prevents Apoptosis of Alcohol-Exposed First-Trimester Trophoblast Cells.

Maternal alcohol abuse leading to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) includes fetal growth restriction (FGR). Ethanol (EtOH) induces apoptosis of human placental trophoblast cells, possibly disrupting placentation and contributing to FGR in FASD. EtOH facilitates apoptosis in several embryonic tissues, including human trophoblasts, by raising intracellular Ca2+ . We previously found that acute EtOH exposure increases trophoblast apoptosis due to signaling from both intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ . Therefore, nifedipine, a Ca2+ channel blocker that is commonly administered to treat preeclampsia and preterm labor, was evaluated for cytoprotective properties in trophoblast cells exposed to alcohol. Human first-trimester chorionic villous explants and the human trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo (HTR) were pretreated with 12.5 to 50nM of the Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine for 1hour before exposure to 50mM EtOH for an additional hour. Intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were monitored in real time by epifluorescence microscopy, using fluo-4-AM. Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), accumulation of cytoplasmic cytochrome c, and cleavage rates of caspase 3 and caspase 9. The increase in intracellular Ca2+ upon exposure to EtOH in both villous explants and HTR cells was completely blocked (p<0.05) when pretreated with nifedipine, accompanied by inhibition of EtOH-induced release of cytochrome c, caspase activities, and TUNEL. This study indicates that nifedipine can interrupt the apoptotic pathway downstream of EtOH exposure and could provide a novel strategy for future interventions in women with fetuses at risk for FASD.

Postnatal nutritional treatment of neurocognitive deficits in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Ethanol is the most important teratogen agent in humans. Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a wide range of adverse effects, which are broadly termed as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The most severe consequence of maternal alcohol abuse is the development of fetal alcohol syndrome, defined by growth retardation, facial malformations, and central nervous system impairment expressed as microcephaly and neurodevelopment abnormalities. These alterations generate a broad range of cognitive abnormalities such as learning disabilities and hyperactivity and behavioural problems. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, differences in genetic susceptibility related to ethanol metabolism, alcohol consumption patterns, obstetric problems, and environmental influences like maternal nutrition, stress, and other co-administered drugs are all factors that may influence FASD manifestations. Recently, much attention has been paid to the role of nutrition as a protective factor against alcohol teratogenicity. There are a great number of papers related to nutritional treatment of nutritional deficits due to several factors associated with maternal consumption of alcohol and with eating and social disorders in FASD children. Although research showed the clinical benefits of nutritional interventions, most of work was in animal models, in a preclinical phase, or in the prenatal period. However, a minimum number of studies refer to postnatal nutrition treatment of neurodevelopmental deficits. Nutritional supplementation in children with FASD has a dual objective: to overcome nutritional deficiencies and to reverse or improve the cognitive deleterious effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Further research is necessary to confirm positive results, to determine optimal amounts of nutrients needed in supplementation, and to investigate the collective effects of simultaneous multiple-nutrient supplementation.

Risk factors for surgical site infection following cesarean delivery: a retrospective cohort study.

The rate of cesarean delivery is increasing in North America. Surgical site infection following this operation can make it difficult to recover, care for a baby and return home. We aimed to determine the incidence of surgical site infection to 30 days following cesarean delivery, associated risk factors and whether risk factors differed for predischarge versus postdischarge infection. We identified a retrospective cohort in Nova Scotia by linking the provincial perinatal database to hospital admissions and physician billings databases to follow women for 30 days after they had given birth by cesarean delivery between Jan. 1, 1997 and Dec. 31, 2012. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to determine risk factors for infection. A total of 25 123 women had 33 991 cesarean deliveries over the study period. Of the 25 123, 923 had surgical site infections, giving an incidence rate of 2.7% (95% CI 2.54%-2.89%); the incidence decreased over time. Risk factors for infection (adjusted odds ratios ≥ 1.5) were prepregnancy weight 87.0 kg or more, gaining 30.0 kg or more during pregnancy, chorioamnionitis, maternal blood transfusion, anticoagulation therapy, alcohol or drug abuse, second stage of labour before surgery, delivery in 1997-2000 and delivery in a hospital performing 130-1249 cesarean deliveries annually. Women who gave birth earlier in the study period, those who gave birth in a hospital with 130-949 cesarean deliveries per year and those with more than 1 fetus were at a significantly higher risk for surgical site infection before discharge; women who smoked were at significantly higher risk for surgical site infection after discharge. Most risk factors are known before delivery, and some are potentially modifiable. Although the incidence of surgical site infection decreased over time, targeted clinical and infection prevention and control interventions could further reduce the burden of illness associated with this health-care-related infection.

Maternal Risk Factors for Preterm Birth in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study.

Globally, about 11% of all liveborn infants are preterm. To date, data on prevalence and risk factors of preterm birth (PTB) in Russia are limited. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of PTB in Murmansk County, Northwestern Russia and to investigate associations between PTB and selected maternal factors using the Murmansk County Birth Registry. We conducted a registry-based study of 52 806 births (2006-2011). In total, 51 156 births were included in the prevalence analysis, of which 3546 were PTBs. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals of moderate-to-late PTB, very PTB and extremely PTB for a range of maternal characteristics were estimated using multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. The overall prevalence of PTB in Murmansk County was 6.9%. Unmarried status, prior PTBs, spontaneous and induced abortions were strongly associated with PTB at any gestational age. Maternal low educational level increased the risk of extremely and moderate-to-late PTB. Young (<18 years) or older (≥35 years) mothers, graduates of vocational schools, underweight, overweight/obese mothers, and smokers were at higher risk of moderate-to-late PTB. Secondary education, alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, or gestational diabetes were strongly associated with moderate-to-late and very PTB. The observed prevalence of PTB (6.9%) in Murmansk County, Russia was comparable with data on live PTB from European countries. Adverse prior pregnancy outcomes, maternal low educational level, unmarried status, alcohol abuse, and diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes were the most common risk factors for PTB.

Maternal drug or alcohol abuse is associated with decreased head size frommid-pregnancy to childhood.

Maternal alcohol abuse is poorly recognised and causes developmental problems. This study explored the foetal central nervous systems (CNS), head circumference and psychomotor development of children exposed to drugs or alcohol during pregnancy up to 2.5years of age. We recruited 23 pregnant women referred to Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, by their family doctor because of drug or alcohol abuse, and 22 control mothers. Foetal CNS parameters were measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography at the mean gestational age of 20weeks and the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales (GMDS), and anthropometric measurements were carried out at the mean ages of one and 2.5years. The exposed foetuses had decreased biparietal and occipito-frontal distances and head circumferences, but unchanged cerebellar volume at 20weeks, and decreased head circumferences and length and height at birth, one and 2.5years of age. They scored lower than the controls on the GMDS general quotient and the hearing, language and locomotor subscales at 2.5years of age. Maternal alcohol or drug exposure was associated with decreased head size from mid-pregnancy to childhood and reduced development at 2.5years. Foetal head circumference at mid-pregnancy was a useful indicator of substance abuse affecting theCNS.

Renal dysfunction in fetal alcohol syndrome: a potential contributor on developmental disabilities of offspring.

Renal dysfunction in fetal alcohol syndrome: a potential contributor on developmental disabilities of offspring.

5-Mehtyltetrahydrofolate rescues alcohol-induced neural crest cell migration abnormalities.

BackgroundAlcohol is detrimental to early development. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) due to maternal alcohol abuse results in a series of developmental abnormalities including cranial facial dysmorphology, ocular anomalies, congenital heart defects, microcephaly and intellectual disabilities. Previous studies have been shown that ethanol exposure causes neural crest (NC) apoptosis and perturbation of neural crest migration. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this report we investigated the fetal effect of alcohol on the process of neural crest development in the Xenopus leavis.ResultsPre-gastrulation exposure of 2-4% alcohol induces apoptosis in Xenopus embryo whereas 1% alcohol specifically impairs neural crest migration without observing discernible apoptosis. Additionally, 1% alcohol treatment considerably increased the phenotype of small head (43.4% ± 4.4%, total embryo n = 234), and 1.5% and 2.0% dramatically augment the deformation to 81.2% ± 6.5% (n = 205) and 91.6% ± 3.0% (n = 235), respectively (P < 0.05). Significant accumulation of Homocysteine was caused by alcohol treatment in embryos and 5-mehtyltetrahydrofolate restores neural crest migration and alleviates homocysteine accumulation, resulting in inhibition of the alcohol-induced neurocristopathies.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that prenatal alcohol exposure causes neural crest cell migration abnormality and 5-mehtyltetrahydrofolate could be beneficial for treating FASD.

Developmental Trajectories of Irritability and Bidirectional Associations With Maternal Depression

Irritability is a dimensional trait in typical development and a common presenting symptom in many psychiatric disorders, including depression. However, little is known about the developmental trajectory of irritability or how child irritability interacts with maternal depression. The present study identifies classes of irritability trajectories from toddlerhood to middle childhood; characterizes maternal depression and other family, social environment, and child variables within each irritability trajectory class; and, as a more exploratory analysis, examines bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child irritability. A total of 4,898 families from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study reported on irritability symptoms at ages 3, 5, and 9 years, assessed with items from the Child Behavior Checklist. Parental major depressive episode was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form at child ages 1, 3, 5, and 9 years. A latent class growth analysis identified 5 irritability classes: low decreasing; moderate decreasing; high steady; initially very high, then decreasing; and high increasing. Children with more severe irritability trajectories are more likely to have mothers with recurrent depression, and, with the exception of the most severe (high increasing irritability) class, were more likely to have mothers who were exposed to violence. Moreover, paternal depression and alcohol abuse, as well as maternal drug and alcohol abuse, were also risk factors for membership in the more severe irritability classes. A latent auto-regressive cross-lag model showed that child irritability at ages 3 and 5 years is associated with increased mother depression at ages 5 and 9, respectively. Conversely, mother depression at child ages 1 and 3 years is associated with increased child irritability at 3 and 5. Irritability development across toddlerhood and middle childhood has 5 main trajectory types, which differ on maternal depression recurrence and exposure to violence. Maternal depression and child irritability influence each other bidirectionally, particularly early in development. Understanding irritability development and its bidirectional relationship with maternal depression and association with violence exposure may help identify intervention targets.

Meconium Indicators of Maternal Alcohol Abuse during Pregnancy and Association with Patient Characteristics

Aim. Identification of women with moderate alcohol abuse during pregnancy is difficult. We correlated self-reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy and patient characteristics with objective alcohol indicators measured in fetal meconium. Methods. A total of 557 women singleton births and available psychological tests, obstetric data and meconium samples were included in statistical analysis. Alcohol metabolites (fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG)), were determined from meconium and correlated with patient characteristics. Results. We found that 21.2% of the 557 participants admitted low-to-moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Of the parameters analyzed from meconium, only EtG showed an association with alcohol history (P < 0.01). This association was inverse in cases with EtG value above 120 ng/g. These values indicate women with most severe alcohol consumption, who obviously denied having consumed alcohol during pregnancy. No other associations between socioeconomic or psychological characteristics and the drinking status (via meconium alcohol metabolites) could be found. Conclusion. Women who drink higher doses of ethanol during pregnancy, according to metabolite measures in meconium, might be less likely to admit alcohol consumption. No profile of socioeconomic or psychological characteristics of those women positively tested via meconium could be established.

Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and alcohol dependence and child behaviour outcomes in mother–child dyads infected with HIV: a longitudinal study

ObjectivesHIV and psychiatric disorders are prevalent and often concurrent. Childbearing women are at an increased risk for both HIV and psychiatric disorders, specifically depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Poor...

Giant Cell Myocarditis and Endomyocardial Calcification in a 2.5-Month-Old Infant Triggered by Excessive Maternal Alcohol Abuse: Case Study of an Unusual Association

This report describes an unusual case of a 2.5-month-old infant's sudden death secondary to giant cell myocarditis and endomyocardial calcification, both unusual entities in pediatric patients. The mother had a history of excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the postnatal period. No infectious etiologies, hypersensivity, or autoimmune disorders were identified. Therefore, the authors assume that alcohol exposure might be responsible for the inflammatory giant cell process complicated with endomyocardial calcification in susceptible infants. This report is the first to describe the rare form of noninfectious myocarditis complicated with endomyocardial calcification possibly triggered by a toxic agent. The authors discuss the possible interaction between these processes that led to the infant's sudden death.

Stroke in Pregnancy

Stroke in Pregnancy regnancy related stroke is a feared complication contributing to more than 12% of all maternal deaths. The incidence is estimated at 34 per 100,000 deliveries, 8-15% of pregnancy related stroke victims die and survivors may suffer profound permanent disability. Risk factors that have been reported for pregnancy-related stroke include advanced maternal age, hypertension, heart disease, migraine headaches, alcohol and substance abuse, Caesarean delivery, electrolyte disorders, thrombophilia, multiple gestation, greater parity and postpartum infection. However, most cases of stroke are related to hypertensive disorders, specifically pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

Differing Attitudes Toward Fetal Care by Pediatric and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialists

The expansion of pediatric-based fetal care raises questions regarding pediatric specialists' involvement in pregnancies when maternal conditions may affect pediatric outcomes. For several such conditions, we compared pediatric and obstetric specialists' attitudes regarding whether and when pediatrics consultation should be offered and their views about seeking court authorization to override maternal refusal of physician recommendations. We used a mail survey of 434 maternal-fetal medicine specialists (MFMs) and fetal care pediatric specialists (FCPs) (response rate: MFM, 60.9%; FCP, 54.2%). FCPs were more likely than MFMs to indicate that pediatric counseling should occur before decisions regarding continuing or interrupting pregnancies complicated by maternal alcohol abuse (FCP versus MFM: 63% vs 36%), cocaine abuse (FCP versus MFM: 60% vs 32%), use of seizure medications (FCP versus MFM: 62% vs 33%), and diabetes (FCP versus MFM: 56% vs 27%) (all P < .001). For all conditions, MFMs were more than twice as likely as FCPs to think that no pediatric specialist consultation was ever necessary. FCPs were more likely to agree that seeking court interventions was appropriate for maternal refusal to enter a program to discontinue cocaine use (FCP versus MFM: 72% vs 33%), refusal of azidothymidine to prevent perinatal HIV transmission (80% vs 41%), and refusal of percutaneous transfusion for fetal anemia (62% vs 28%) (all P < .001). Pediatric and obstetric specialists differ considerably regarding pediatric specialists' role in prenatal care for maternal conditions, and regarding whether to seek judicial intervention for maternal refusal of recommended treatment.

Adequacy of Maternal Iron Status Protects against Behavioral, Neuroanatomical, and Growth Deficits in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the leading non-genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disability in children. Although alcohol is clearly teratogenic, environmental factors such as gravidity and socioeconomic status significantly modify individual FASD risk despite equivalent alcohol intake. An explanation for this variability could inform FASD prevention. Here we show that the most common nutritional deficiency of pregnancy, iron deficiency without anemia (ID), is a potent and synergistic modifier of FASD risk. Using an established rat model of third trimester-equivalent binge drinking, we show that ID significantly interacts with alcohol to impair postnatal somatic growth, associative learning, and white matter formation, as compared with either insult separately. For the associative learning and myelination deficits, the ID-alcohol interaction was synergistic and the deficits persisted even after the offsprings’ iron status had normalized. Importantly, the observed deficits in the ID-alcohol animals comprise key diagnostic criteria of FASD. Other neurobehaviors were normal, showing the ID-alcohol interaction was selective and did not reflect a generalized malnutrition. Importantly ID worsened FASD outcome even though the mothers lacked overt anemia; thus diagnostics that emphasize hematological markers will not identify pregnancies at-risk. This is the first direct demonstration that, as suggested by clinical studies, maternal iron status has a unique influence upon FASD outcome. While alcohol is unquestionably teratogenic, this ID-alcohol interaction likely represents a significant portion of FASD diagnoses because ID is more common in alcohol-abusing pregnancies than generally appreciated. Iron status may also underlie the associations between FASD and parity or socioeconomic status. We propose that increased attention to normalizing maternal iron status will substantially improve FASD outcome, even if maternal alcohol abuse continues. These findings offer novel insights into how alcohol damages the developing brain.

Paternal and maternal alcohol abuse and offspring mental distress in the general population: the Nord-Trøndelag health study

BackgroundThe degree to which parental alcohol abuse is a risk factor for offspring mental distress is unclear, due to conflicting results of previous research. The inconsistencies in previous findings may be related to sample characteristics and lack of control of confounding or moderating factors. One such factor may be the gender of the abusing parent. Also, other factors, such as parental mental health, divorce, adolescent social network, school functioning or self-esteem, may impact the outcome. This study examines the impact of maternal and paternal alcohol abuse on adolescent mental distress, including potentially confounding, mediating or moderating effects of various variables.MethodsData from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), a Norwegian population based health survey, from 4012 offspring and their parents were analyzed. Parental alcohol abuse was measured by numerical consumption indicators and CAGE, whereas offspring mental distress was measured by SCL-5, an abbreviated instrument tapping symptoms of anxiety and depression. Statistical method was analysis of variance.ResultsMaternal alcohol abuse was related to offspring mental distress, whereas no effect could be shown of paternal alcohol abuse. Effects of maternal alcohol abuse was partly mediated by parental mental distress, offspring social network and school functioning. However, all effects were relatively small.ConclusionsThe results indicate graver consequences for offspring of alcohol abusing mothers compared to offspring of alcohol abusing fathers. However, small effect sizes suggest that adolescent offspring of alcohol abusing parents in general manage quite well.