Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood balance ability: findings from a UK birth cohort study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of prenatal alcohol exposure with balance in10-year-old children.DesignPopulation-based prospective longitudinal study.SettingFormer Avon region of UK (Southwest England).Participants6915 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had a balance assessment at age 10 and had data on maternal alcohol consumption.Outcome measures3 composite balance scores: dynamic balance (beam-walking), static balance eyes open, static balance eyes closed (heel-to-toe balance on a beam and standing on one leg, eyes open or closed).ResultsMost mothers (95.5%) consumed no-to-moderate amounts (3–7 glasses/week) of alcohol during pregnancy. Higher total-alcohol consumption was associated with maternal-social advantage, whereas binge drinking (≥4 units/day) and abstinence were associated with maternal social disadvantage. No evidence was found of an adverse effect of maternal-alcohol consumption on childhood balance. Higher maternal-alcohol use during pregnancy was generally associated with better offspring outcomes, with some specific effects appearing strong (static balance eyes open and moderate total alcohol exposure at 18 weeks, adjusted OR 1.23 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.49); static balance eyes closed and moderate total alcohol exposure at 18 weeks, adjusted OR 1.25 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.48). Similar results were found for both paternal and postnatal maternal alcohol exposure. A Mendelian-randomization approach was used to estimate the association between maternal genotype and offspring balance using the non-synonymous variant rs1229984*A (ADH1B) to proxy for lower maternal alcohol consumption; no strong associations were found between this genotype/proxy and offspring balance.ConclusionsNo evidence was found to indicate that moderate maternal alcohol consumption in this population sample had an adverse effect on offspring balance at age 10. An apparent beneficial effect of higher total maternal alcohol consumption on offspring balance appeared likely to reflect residual confounding.

Cognitive and Behavioral Profiles of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

“…The question of whether mild to moderate levels of prenatal alcohol exposure produce motor deficits has been addressed in recent studies. Humphriss et al [117,118] investigated the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood balance ability in children from the UK Birth Cohort Study. Children with mild to moderate alcohol exposure did not show deficits in dynamic balance (beam walking), static balance with eyes open and static balance with eyes closed.…”

Has the leaning tower of presumed health benefits from ‘moderate’ alcohol use finally collapsed?

“…Other MR studies have similarly contradicted findings from previous observational studies relevant to alcohol use, including outcomes as diverse as cognitive function , children's academic achievement , balance and blood pressure , all finding no protective effect from low‐dose alcohol.…”

Impaired ILK Function Is Associated with Deficits in Hippocampal Based Memory and Synaptic Plasticity in a FASD Rat Model

“…Furthermore, an estimated 9% of women will continue to drink despite the fact they know they are pregnant, some of them heavily (up to 0.3%) or in binges (up to 3%) [ 4 ]. Of great concern are “moderate” drinkers (women consuming a maximum of 7 drinks per week) since there is some debate as to whether moderate alcohol consumption is safe during pregnancy [ 5 ]. Hence, it is of extreme relevance to determine the mechanisms underlying FASD to develop optimal therapeutic interventions to address and potentially reverse the deleterious effects of alcohol exposure during gestation.…”