Maternal Self-report Research Articles

Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Executive Function and Aggressive Behavior at Age 5 Years

Cannabis use during pregnancy is increasingly common in the US and may affect the development and behavior of preschool-aged children. To prospectively investigate the association of prenatal cannabis exposure with executive function and aggressive behavior at age 5 years. This cohort study was conducted from 2016 through 2020. Data analysis was conducted from 2022 through 2024. Patients aged 16 through 50 years who were able to communicate in English and intended to deliver at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center were enrolled in a pregnancy research repository. Participants (n = 355) who gave consent for future contact and whose child(ren) was presumed to be alive were invited to participate again at child age 5 years (children born May 25, 2010, through February 7, 2016) and 250 children participated (70%). Cannabis exposure was measured prospectively by urine toxicology, maternal self-report, and obstetric record abstraction. Executive function and aggressive behavior, measured via multimodal assessment by staff masked to exposure status. Outcomes were chosen a priori. Of 250 children, 80 were exposed to cannabis (32%). Use of tobacco, other drugs, and alcohol during pregnancy was common (22% to 39% each). Most families were living in poverty. There were 155 children who were Black/African American, non-Hispanic (62%); 11 were Hispanic (4%); 34 indicated more than one race or another race, non-Hispanic (14%); and 50 were White, non-Hispanic (20%). Age-corrected standard scores for children's attention and inhibitory control (National Institutes of Health Toolbox) were about 0.4 SDs lower for those exposed to cannabis compared with unexposed (β = -6.1 points; 95% CI, -10.8 to -1.4), following propensity score weighting and adjustment for confounders. Exposed children also exhibited poorer task-based planning ability and more observed aggression. Caregiver ratings of executive function and behavior and laboratory assessments of other aspects of executive functioning showed no differences by exposure status. Results from this contemporary US cohort where prenatal cannabis exposure was common and indicated that exposed children exhibited some differences in aspects of executive function and behavior relevant to long-term academic success and adaptive functioning. These results may be considered in refining clinical recommendations regarding cannabis use during pregnancy.

Biopsychosocial predictors of rapid weight gain from birth to 6 months.

Childhood obesity remains a public health crisis and identification of unique prenatal and early infancy predictors of obesity risk are critically needed. We test a comprehensive biopsychosocial model of the predictors of rapid weight gain (RWG) in the first 6 months of life. Two hundred and ninety nine pregnant women and their infants participated. Maternal prenatal psychobiological risk (PPBR) was assessed during the third trimester via maternal anthropometrics, serum biomarkers (insulin, leptin, adiponectin), and maternal report of pregnancy complications, substance use, mental health and stress. Infant stress reactivity was measured at 2 months (cortisol output, resting RSA, observed irritability, negative emotionality). At 2 and 6 months, maternal self-report of obesogenic feeding practices and observed maternal sensitivity during three tasks were collected. RWG was classified based on change in weight-for-age z scores from birth to 6 months (>0.67 SD). Obesogenic feeding practices predicted greater likelihood of RWG, β = 0.30, p = .0.01, independent of other predictors and covariates. Obesogenic feeding practices was the only proposed intervening mechanism that produced a significant indirect effect of PPBR on RWG, b = 0.05, S.E. = 0.04, 95% CI [0.002, 0.15], β = 0.06. Identifying proclivity towards obesogenic feeding practices and providing support to reduce these behaviours may enhance childhood obesity prevention efforts.

Development of a prenatal Maternal Self-report Inventory and verification of its reliability and validity

Development of a prenatal Maternal Self-report Inventory and verification of its reliability and validity

The international prevalence of prenatal alcohol use obtained via meconium biomarkers: A systematic literature review.

Fetal alcohol exposure is a growing public health concern. However, ascertaining its true extent remains challenging as maternal self-reports may lack validity. Increasingly, interest has turned to more objective measures of prenatal alcohol use (PAU) of which one, meconium, is recognized as a valuable tool. This review assesses both the international prevalence of PAU obtained using meconium biomarkers in general maternity populations and, when feasible, the level of agreement between meconium biomarkers and self-reported PAU. A systematic literature search for studies reporting the prevalence of PAU, as determined by meconium biomarker testing, was conducted using multiple electronic databases from 1990 to 2023. Seventeen studies were identified for inclusion and evaluated for methodological quality. Using fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) meconium biomarkers, PAU prevalence varied from 2.4% to 44%. Rates based on EtG (ethyl glucuronide) analysis ranged from 0% to 16.3%, and EtS (ethyl sulfate) analysis from 7.8% to 16.7%. Studies were of moderate quality with high heterogeneity. Prevalence rates based on self-report data ranged from 0% to 46.4%. When reported, none of the reviewed studies identified agreement between meconium-based and self-report-based PAU prevalence rates. Using both self-reports to detect early pregnancy alcohol use, and meconium biomarkers to detect the occurrence of alcohol use later in pregnancy, may provide a more complete picture of PAU prevalence. Furthermore, research is warranted to develop stringent guidance on the ascertainment, storage, analysis, and reporting required in this field.

1235-P: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Georgia, United States—Agreement between Maternal Self-Report and Birth Certificate Documentation

1235-P: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Georgia, United States—Agreement between Maternal Self-Report and Birth Certificate Documentation

Mother-infant feeding interactions in mothers with and without eating disorder history: Results of a structured observational study

BackgroundA growing body of evidence suggests that children of mothers with eating disorders (EDs) have a greater risk of early feeding problems. Recognizing and reacting adequately to the infant's signals during feeding is crucial for the child's development of internal and external regulatory mechanisms of food intake. Parental EDs might affect this ability. Therefore, we investigated the quality of mother-infant interactions during feeding using video recording and a structured coding system. MethodsThe data of this pilot study was collected in a prospective cohort study investigating the influence of maternal EDs on child outcomes. Twenty women with ED history and 31 control women were videotaped while feeding their infant during a main meal at ten months postpartum. The mother-infant interactions were evaluated by two raters using the Chatoor Feeding Scale. We assessed birth outcomes, the mother's ED and depression status, breastfeeding practices, infant feeding problems and infant temperament by maternal self-report. ResultsMothers with and without ED history scored very similar on the Feeding Scale, however mothers from the control group experienced more struggle for control with their infants during feeding (p = 0.046) and made more negative comments about the infant's food intake (p = 0.010). Mothers with ED history were more concerned about infant feeding at three months postpartum and reported significantly more problems with solid foods in their children. Birth outcomes were comparable between groups, except for lower weight-for-length birth percentiles in children of women with ED history. ConclusionWhilst examined mothers with ED history are more concerned about feeding their children, ED psychopathology does not affect the quality of mother-infant interaction during feeding at the transition to autonomous eating at ten months of age.

Infant Behaviors, Prenatal Cocaine Exposure, and Adult Intelligence.

Linking prenatal drug exposures to both infant behavior and adult cognitive outcomes may improve early interventions. To assess whether neonatal physical, neurobehavioral, and infant cognitive measures mediate the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and adult perceptual reasoning IQ. This study used data from a longitudinal, prospective birth cohort study with follow-up from 1994 to 2018 until offspring were 21 years post partum. A total of 384 (196 PCE and 188 not exposed to cocaine [NCE]) infants and mothers were screened for cocaine or polydrug use. Structural equation modeling was performed from June to November 2023. Prenatal exposures to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco assessed through urine and meconium analyses and maternal self-report. Head circumference, neurobehavioral assessment, Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score, Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) score, and blood lead level. Among the 384 mothers in the study, the mean (SD) age at delivery was 27.7 (5.3) years (range, 18-41 years), 375 of 383 received public assistance (97.9%) and 336 were unmarried (87.5%). Birth head circumference (standardized estimate for specific path association, -0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .02) and 1-year Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) (standardized estimate for total of the specific path association, -0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .03) mediated the association of PCE with Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, controlling for HOME score and other substance exposures. Abnormal results on the neurobehavioral assessment were associated with birth head circumference (β = -0.20, SE = 0.08; P = .01). Bayley Psychomotor Index (β = 0.39, SE = 0.05; P < .001) and Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score (β = 0.16, SE = 0.06; P = .01) at 6.5 months correlated with MDI at 12 months. In this cohort study, a negative association of PCE with adult perceptual reasoning IQ was mediated by early physical and behavioral differences, after controlling for other drug and environmental factors. Development of infant behavioral assessments to identify sequelae of prenatal teratogens early in life may improve long-term outcomes and public health awareness.

Prenatal maternal negative life events associated with child emotional and behavioral problems in the French EDEN cohort

IntroductionPrenatal negative life events (NLEs) have been linked to adverse health outcomes in children. However, few studies examine this relationship during late childhood using trajectory analyses. Additionally, the impact of specific NLEs domains on child development remains unclear. This study aims to longitudinally explore the association between NLEs (cumulative score and specific NLEs domains) and child outcomes from birth to late childhood. Methods1135 mother-child pairs from the French EDEN cohort were followed from 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy up to 11 years of age. Maternal self-reports of prenatal NLEs were collected immediately after birth, then analyzed as a cumulative score and by NLEs domain. Children's emotional and behavioral symptoms were assessed at 4 timepoints through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. ResultsChildren of mothers exposed to ≥3 NLEs were more likely to follow trajectories of high levels of peer relationship problems (aOR [95 % CI] = 5.69 [1.74–18.69]), emotional symptoms (aOR [95 % CI] = 3.05 [1.08–8.63]), and conduct problems (aOR [95 %] = 3.53 [1.20–10.42]). Among the domains of NLEs, only events related to housing, finance, and living conditions were significantly associated with high emotional and behavioral difficulties trajectories (aOR [95%CI] = 2.71[1.26–5.81]). LimitationsPotential attrition bias due to a higher dropout rate for children experiencing early indications of emotional and behavioral difficulties. ConclusionFindings support the relationship between prenatal NLEs and child outcomes, underscoring the importance of assessing prenatal stressors across life domains to identify mothers who might be in need of support.

Prenatal Cannabis Use Disorder and Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: A Linked Data Cohort

IntroductionCannabis use has been increasing among women of reproductive age in the last few decades. In-utero cannabis exposure could be associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID) during childhood and adolescence; however, existing evidence was generated based on maternal self-report of cannabis use in pregnancy. We conducted a large-scale with data linkage cohort study, in which both exposure and outcome of interests were confirmed using diagnostic tools, ICD-10-AM.ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the association between prenatal cannabis use disorder (CUD) and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring using a large-scale cohort study.MethodsWe conducted an administrative health data-based cohort study of 222,569 mother-offspring pairs using linked data obtained from health registries in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data were drawn from the NSW Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), which included all live births in the Australian state of NSW between January 2003 and December 2005. These were linked with the NSW in-patient and ambulatory data collections for mothers and offspring. The prenatal cannabis use disorder (exposure) and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring (outcomes of interest) were measured by using ICD-10-AM. Generalized linear regression with a binomial family model was used to explore the association. We also carried out a modification/interaction effect of low birth weight (LBW), smoking and premature births (PTB), which enhanced the methodological robustness of the study.ResultsThis study found that offspring from mothers with prenatal CUwD had a 98%, 94% and 46% increased risk of ADHD [aRR = 1.98: 95 % CI 1.36 – 2.88], ASD [aRR = 1.94: 95 % CI 1.34 – 2.82], and ID [aRR = 1.46: 95 % CI 1.01 – 2.63] compared to those non-exposed offspring, respectively. We observed a significant interaction effect between CUD during pregnancy and maternal smoking on the risk of childhood ADHD, ASD and ID [CUD*smoking: RR = 5.62: 95 % CI 3.77 – 8.39, RR = 2.72: 95 % CI 1.78 – 4.18, and RR = 2.84: 95 % CI 1.54 – 5.22, respectively]. Furthermore, we also found significant associations between PCUD and ADHD, ASD and ID when interacting with LBW, and PTB.ConclusionsMaternal prenatal CUD is associated with a higher risk of ADHD, ASD, and ID in offspring. The effect of maternal CUD on neurodevelopmental disorders was also found to be stronger when mothers also reported smoking during pregnancy, compared to the individual effects of cannabis use or smoking alone. The findings highlight the importance of implementing preventive strategies to reduce cannabis use in pregnancy.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Accuracy of Maternal Self-Report of Recent Preeclampsia Among Healthy Women.

Background: Preeclampsia history signals a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but its value as a risk marker relies primarily on self-report. To identify the accuracy of maternal self-reports of recent preeclampsia, we conducted a validation study among women recruited to a web-based trial. Methods: Women with preeclampsia in the past 5 years were recruited to Heart Health 4 Moms. Preeclampsia was self-reported through an online recruitment questionnaire and affirmed via phone screen. Accuracy of maternal self-report was quantified using positive predictive value (PPV) versus medical record evidence of preeclampsia using three definitions: (1) documentation of clinician diagnosis, (2) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 2002 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria), and (3) ACOG 2013 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria or systemic symptoms). Results: Complete medical records were received for 290 women who delivered from 2011 to 2016 and were predominantly non-Hispanic White (81.7%) with a mean age of 31.2 ± 4.8 years. Mean length of recall was 13.6 ± 14.7 months. The majority of women (92.1%) had medical record evidence of preeclampsia using ≥1 of the definitions. Maternal self-report of preeclampsia was validated for 88.3% based on clinician diagnosis, 59.0% with ACOG 2002, and 65.2% with ACOG 2013. Conclusions: In this validation study of U.S. women, the majority accurately self-reported their preeclampsia diagnosis based on medical record review. A higher proportion of self-reports validated by clinician diagnosis than ACOG criteria, suggesting women remember the diagnosis given by their provider and providers may not always follow or document criteria when making a diagnosis.

A Comparison of Two Statewide Datasets to Understand Population Prevalence of Substance Use in Pregnancy: Findings and Considerations for Policy & Research.

Mental health conditions including substance use disorder are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. Unfortunately, fears of child protective services' involvement interfere with maternal self-disclosure of substance use in pregnancy. Seeking to identify more mothers with substance use disorder in pregnancy or at delivery, and responsive to changes to the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), Connecticut requires hospital personnel to submit a deidentified notification to CPS for all newborns with prenatal substance exposure. However, it is unknown whether this approach aligns with maternal self-report on substance use. For the present study, we compared population parameters derived from CAPTA notifications submitted between March-December 2019 with parameters derived from self-report data on substance use in pregnancy from mothers who gave birth during the same timeframe. Results revealed that three times as many mothers self-reported any alcohol or drug use in pregnancy compared to the rate measured with CAPTA notifications. Compared to mothers who self-reported drug use in the third trimester, CAPTA notifications were made for statistically similar rates of Black mothers but half the self-reported rate of White and Hispanic mothers. This disparity reflects that CAPTA notifications were made for twice as many Black mothers as White or Hispanic. Although CAPTA notifications are not punitive in nature, this disparity reveals that the public health aims of this policy are not yet achieved.

Long-Term Effects of Child Early Surgical Ventricular Septal Defect Repair on Maternal Stress.

The ventricular septal defect (VSD) represents the most common congenital heart defect (CHD). The diagnosis of and cardiac surgery for their child's VSD are highly stressful experiences for parents; especially mothers, who are at risk of developing long-lasting stress-related symptoms. This study examined long-term alterations in maternal stress including self-reported psychological and biophysiological stress levels in a case-control design. We investigated 24 mothers of children with an isolated, surgically corrected VSD compared to non-affected controls. Maternal self-reports on psychopathology, everyday stress, parenting stress and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were measured during children's primary school age (6-9 years, t1) and early adolescence (10-14 years, t2). In maternal self-reports, psychopathology and stress symptoms in the VSD-group and controls were comparable at t1, whereas at t2, mothers in the VSD-group even showed a decrease in psychopathology. Maternal HCC levels in the VSD-group were significantly lower (hypocortisolism) than HCC levels of controls at t1. This effect was no longer observed at t2 reflecting an approximation of HCC levels in the VSD-group to controls' levels. This study highlights the potential for improved stress hormone balance and psychological well-being in mothers following their child's surgical VSD repair. However, the need for parent-centered interventions is discussed, particularly during peri-operative phases and in early child developmental stages.

Medication use in Northern Ireland in early pregnancy: Agreement between maternal self-report and prescribing records

ObjectiveTo assess the agreement between medication data reported by the mother at the pregnancy booking interview and recorded by midwives in the Northern Ireland Maternity System (NIMATS) compared to dispensed prescription data recorded in the Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD).&#x0D; MethodAs part of a larger cross-sectional study investigating the prevalence of prescriptions dispensed between the last menstrual period (LMP) and the first antenatal visit 2011-2016, this sub-study assessed the agreement between self-reported medication use recorded in NIMATS and EPD compared to NIMATS, 2015-2016. Sensitivity and specificity compared to EPD were also calculated. This shorter time period was used due to underreporting of non-supplement medications before 2015 in NIMATS.&#x0D; ResultsBetween 2015-2016, there were 34,432 pregnancies to 34,096 women. In NIMATS 96.8% of women reported taking medications during early pregnancy compared to 64.3% of women having prescriptions dispensed in EPD. Folic acid (low and high-dose) was the most common medication recorded in both NIMATS (57.2%) and EPD (26.2%). Antibiotics, analgesics, antacids and anticoagulants were more commonly recorded in NIMATS but all other non-supplement medications were more common in EPD. Agreement between NIMATS and EPD ranged from 2.6% for vitamins to 87.8% for insulin. Sensitivity ranged from 2.5% for cardiac medications to 84.3% for anticoagulants. Specificity ranged from 47.6% for antibiotics to 100% for cardiac and antiviral medications. Folic acid (low and high-dose), vitamins, antibiotics and analgesics were the only medications with specificity less than 90%.&#x0D; ConclusionOver-the-counter medications such as low-dose folic acid, antacids and analgesics were recorded more at the maternity booking interview (NIMATS), while medications requiring prescriptions were recorded more in EPD. This is important information for determining which data source to use in future studies assessing medication use.

Rapid urine screening for ethyl glucuronide from pregnant women as a tool for detecting prenatal alcohol exposure

BackgroundAn increasing prevalence of alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, which has also led to an increasing number of children who have been prenatally exposed to the toxic effects of ethanol. However, obtaining reliable information on prenatal alcohol exposure through maternal self-reports has proved difficult.AimsOur aim was to evaluate the potential for rapid screening test for measuring ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a specific alcohol metabolite, from urine samples of pregnant women.MethodsFive hundred five urine samples of pregnant women were collected anonymously from five prenatal units in two Finnish cities: a tertiary specialist antenatal clinic for pregnant women with problematic substance use (HAL), a regular hospital antenatal clinic (LCH = Lahti Central Hospital), a prenatal screening unit and two community maternity clinics (USR = user self-recruiting units). All samples were screened using rapid EtG test strips, and all positive, uncertain, and randomly selected negative samples were confirmed by quantitative analyses. The samples were also screened for cotinine and use of cannabis.ResultsIn this material an EtG cut-off of 300 ng/mL suggesting heavy alcohol drinking was exceeded by 7.4% (5/68) of the samples in the HAL clinic, 1.9% (4/202) in LCH, and 0.9% (2/225) in USR. A cut-off of 100 ng/mL was exceeded by 17.6% (12/68) of samples from HAL, 7.5% (16/212) from LCH, and 6.7% (15/225) from USR. Based on confirmatory quantitative analyses, there were no false negatives nor false positives in rapid EtG screening. However, 57 (11.3%) of test results were classified as uncertain. In these cases, confirmation by quantitative analyses resulted in 56.1% rate of positive values. 73% of the samples with EtG > 300 ng/mL showed positive cotinine results suggesting smoking co-occurring with alcohol intake.ConclusionsRapid EtG tests may be an easy and inexpensive method, which may improve the possibilities for screening alcohol use among pregnant women during routine prenatal visits. Quantitative EtG analyses are recommended to confirm screening positive and uncertain cases.Trial registrationNCT04571463 Date of Registration 11/05/2020.

The relationship between children's food allergies and family mealtimes: A systematic review.

Food allergy prevalence is increasing among children; however, it is not clear how children's food allergy status impacts family mealtimes. This study's purpose was to systematically synthesize research regarding the relationship between children's food allergies, parental meal-centered stress, and family mealtime dynamics. Data sources for this study include peer-reviewed, English language sources from CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Five keyword categories (child, food allergies, meal preparation, stress, and family) were utilized to identify sources regarding how food allergies of children (from birth-12years) relate to family mealtime dynamics or parental meal-centered stress. All 13 identified studies determined that pediatric food allergies relate to either increased parental stress, meal preparation issues, mealtime problems, or changes to family meals. Studies also indicate that meal preparation takes longer, requires more vigilance, and is more stressful due to children's food allergies. Limitations include that most studies were cross-sectional and based on maternal self-report. Children's food allergies are associated with parental meal-centered stress and mealtime issues. However, there is a need for research to account for specific changes to family mealtime dynamics and parent feeding behaviors so that pediatric health care professionals can alleviate parental meal-centered stress and provide guidance towards optimal feeding behaviors.

2D:4D biomarker reliability and validity in a within-subject pregnancy-childhood-adolescence cohort

BackgroundA lot of studies use the second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) as a biomarker for intrauterine androgen load to predict behavioral and mental health problems. Thus, knowledge of 2D:4D's metric properties, namely reliability and validity, is essential. Method2D:4D handscans were available from 149 adolescents (M = 13.32 years, SD = 0.35) and their mothers. For 88 adolescents, there were also primary-school age handscans (M = 7.87 years, SD = 0.68). Prenatal risks for the 1st to 3rd trimesters were recorded during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (alcohol exposition: meconium biomarker and maternal self-report; nicotine exposition: maternal self-report; maternal depressive symptoms and subjective stress: questionnaires). ResultsThe 2D:4D ratio was highly stable from childhood to early adolescence. However, both developmental and sex effects were present: The 2D:4D ratio increased with age and was higher in adolescent girls vs. boys. Significant 2D:4D mother-child associations were found for girls. Significant main effects could be found for the prenatal risk factors alcohol (self-report) and nicotine consumption. ConclusionIn line with earlier studies, the 2D:4D biomarker proved to be an inter-individually stable measure with an intra-individual increase from childhood to early adolescence. Sex differences in adolescence and associations with maternal prenatal health behaviour underline the validity of the biomarker. Findings on heritability emphasize the importance of interpreting 2D:4D results in a sex-specific manner.

Maternal socialization of emotion and the development of emotion regulation in early adolescent girls.

Regulation of negative emotions is a core competency of child development. Parental emotion socialization profoundly influences later capacity to regulate negative affect in childhood and adolescence. The present study examined the effects of maternal emotion socialization on the development of emotion regulation in the context of a longitudinal study of 210 mother-daughter dyads. Dyads completed a conflict resolution task when the child was age 11 years during which maternal warmth and hostility were coded. At ages 11 to 13 years, mothers completed self-report measures of supportive and nonsupportive responses to child negative emotion, and children completed self-reports of inhibition and adaptive regulation of sadness and anger. We used latent growth curve modeling to estimate changes in inhibition and adaptive regulation of sadness and anger over time; observed maternal warmth and hostility were included as time-invariant covariates and maternal self-report of supportive and nonsupportive responses were included as time-varying covariates. Observed maternal warmth was positively associated with girls' adaptive regulation of anger and sadness at age 11 years. Maternal self-reported supportive responses to girls' negative affect were positively associated with girls' adaptive regulation of anger, and nonsupportive responses were negatively associated with adaptive regulation of anger and sadness. These findings support the role of maternal emotion socialization and indicate specific effects of maternal warmth and supportive responses in the development of girls' capacity to modulate negative emotions during early adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Molecular Markers in Maternal Blood Exosomes Allow Early Detection of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause developmental abnormalities (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; FASD), including small eyes, face and brain, and neurobehavioral deficits. These cannot be detected early in pregnancy with available imaging techniques. Early diagnosis could facilitate development of therapeutic interventions. Banked human fetal brains and eyes at 9-22 weeks' gestation were paired with maternal blood samples, analyzed for morphometry, protein, and RNA expression, and apoptotic signaling. Alcohol (EtOH)-exposed (maternal self-report) fetuses were compared with unexposed controls matched for fetal age, sex, and maternal race. Fetal brain-derived exosomes (FB-E) were isolated from maternal blood and analyzed for protein, RNA, and apoptotic markers. EtOH use by mothers, assessed by self-report, was associated with reduced fetal eye diameter, brain size, and markers of synaptogenesis. Brain caspase-3 activity was increased. The reduction in eye and brain sizes were highly correlated with amount of EtOH intake and caspase-3 activity. Levels of several biomarkers in FB-E, most strikingly myelin basic protein (MBP; r &gt; 0.9), correlated highly with morphological abnormalities. Reduction in FB-E MBP levels was highly correlated with EtOH exposure (p &lt; 1.0 × 10-10). Although the morphological features of FAS appear long before they can be detected by live imaging, FB-E in the mother's blood may contain markers, particularly MBP, that predict FASD.

Prenatal cocaine exposure and substance use disorder in emerging adulthood at age 21

BackgroundPrenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been associated with child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and early substance use, yet few studies investigated its association with substance use disorder (SUD) in emerging adults. The present study examined the association of PCE with SUD in emerging adulthood, and whether childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use mediated the relationship. MethodsParticipants were 367 (187 PCE; 53% female) adults at age 21, primarily urban African American who were recruited at birth. PCE and exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana were determined using biologic assays for drug metabolites and/or maternal self-report at birth. Offspring externalizing problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report at age 12, substance use and substance use-related problems via biologic assays and/or self-report at age 15, and SUD determined using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria at age 21. ResultsAbout 32.3% of the emerging adults were determined to have marijuana use disorder, 30.3% tobacco use disorder, and 15.5% alcohol use disorder. PCE was related to greater externalizing behaviors at age 12 (β = 0.12, p = .042), which in turn was related to SUD (β = 0.22, p = .008). PCE was also related to substance use, mainly marijuana, at age 15 (β = 0.22, p = .011), which was related to SUD (β = 0.51, p < .001). Total indirect effects including these two pathways were significant (β = 0.19, p = .002). ConclusionsPCE may increase risk for SUD in emerging adulthood through childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use.

Assessing maternal alcohol consumption in pregnancy: does phosphatidylethanol measured from day 5 newborn blood spot cards have any value? An observational, population-based study

ObjectivePrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) places children at risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) but ascertainment of PAE is problematic. Early intervention for children at risk of FASD may help...