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Light drinking versus abstinence in pregnancy - behavioural and cognitive outcomes in 7-year-old children: a
Y Kelly1, M Iacovou, M A Quigley
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Insights
Light drinking during pregnancy did not show links to developmental issues in children at age seven. This study supports current UK guidelines advising on alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal and developmental psychology
- Public health research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a concern for child development.
- Existing research has yielded mixed results on the effects of light drinking.
- Understanding the impact of low-level alcohol intake is crucial for public health guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between light alcohol consumption in pregnancy and developmental outcomes in offspring.
- To assess potential links between maternal drinking (up to 2 units/week) and child behavioral and cognitive measures at age seven.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, population-based cohort study in the UK.
- Involved 10,534 seven-year-olds.
- Utilized quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching (PSM) to compare children of light drinkers and non-drinkers, controlling for confounders.
Main Results:
- After adjusting for confounders, most differences in behavioral difficulties and cognitive test scores (reading, maths, spatial skills) between light drinking and non-drinking groups were not statistically significant.
- Teacher-rated behavioral difficulties in boys remained significant after adjustment.
- Cognitive scores for reading and spatial skills in boys showed some persistent, albeit attenuated, differences.
Conclusions:
- Light drinking during pregnancy (up to 2 units/week) does not appear to be associated with significant adverse developmental outcomes in mid-childhood.
- Findings support the current UK Department of Health guidelines regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Objective:
To assess whether light drinking in pregnancy is linked to unfavourable developmental outcomes in children.
Design:
Prospective population-based cohort.
Setting:
UK.
Population:
Ten thousand five hundred and thirty-four 7-year-olds.
Methods:
Quasi-experimental using propensity score matching (PSM) to compare children born to light (up to 2 units per week) and non-drinkers.
Main Outcome Measures:
Behavioural difficulties rated by parents and teachers; cognitive test scores for reading, maths and spatial skills.
Results:
Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and PSM analyses are presented. For behavioural difficulties, unadjusted estimates for percentage standard deviation (SD) score differences ranged from 2 to 14%. On adjustment for potential confounders, differences were attenuated, with a loss of statistical significance, except for teacher-rated boys' difficulties. For boys, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -11.5; OLS, -4.3; PSM, -6.8; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -13.9; OLS, -9.6; PSM, -10.8. For girls, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -9.6; OLS, -2.9; PSM, -4.5; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -2.4; OLS, 4.9; PSM, 3.9. For cognitive test scores, unadjusted estimates for differences ranged between 12 and 21% of an SD score for reading, maths and spatial skills. After adjustment for potential confounders, estimates were reduced, but remained statistically significantly different for reading and for spatial skills in boys. For boys, reading: unadjusted, 20.9; OLS, 8.3; PSM, 7.3; maths: unadjusted, 14.7; OLS, 5.0; PSM, 6.5; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.6; PSM, 8.1. For girls, reading: unadjusted, 11.6; OLS, -0.3; PSM, -0.5; maths: unadjusted, 12.9; OLS, 4.3; PSM, 3.9; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.7; PSM, 6.4.
Conclusion:
The findings suggest that light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in mid-childhood. These findings support current UK Department of Health guidelines on drinking during pregnancy.
