Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Social support and prenatal alcohol use
Tay K McNamara1, E John Orav, Louise Wilkins-Haug
1Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Background:
Lack of social support during pregnancy may be associated with the prenatal use of alcohol. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree, predictors, and consequences of social support in a cohort of 200 pregnant women who scored 2 or more on the T-ACE, a 4-item screening questionnaire for prenatal drinking.
Methods:
The pregnant women completed the Maternal Social Support Index (MSSI). Their partners completed the same measure, which was modified to reflect their status as the biological fathers.
Results:
Despite having similar overall MSSI scores, there was only slight to fair agreement on the level of support received by the pregnant women for most daily tasks when their responses were compared with their partners. Predictors of increased maternal social support included the woman's being married and having more education and a more prestigious job than her partner. Social support was not predictive of either subsequent prenatal alcohol use or newborn birth weight.
Conclusions:
Regardless of social support, previous, prepregnancy, and early pregnancy drinking were the most predictive factors for subsequent prenatal alcohol consumption in this sample, underscoring the importance of screening pregnant women for drinking.
More Related Videos
15:27Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
19:57The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Published on: August 5, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Teratogenicity
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia