| Summary: | A study was conducted to examine the relationships among prenatal moderate levels of alcohol exposure and early adolescent learning and behavior. Data were drawn from a population-based cohort of 464 children that was followed longitudinally from birth to age 14 years. Results revealed that some amount of drinking during mid-pregnancy was reported by 77.8 percent of mothers and that at least one instance of binge drinking was reported by 39 percent of mothers during early pregnancy and by 24 percent of mothers during mid-pregnancy. There was a significant, subtle relationship between greater prenatal alcohol use and increased behavior/learning difficulties during early adolescence, even when other developmental influences were accounted for. Moreover, binge maternal drinking and exposure in early pregnancy were related to adolescent antisocial behavior, school problems, and self-perceived learning difficulties.
|
|---|