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Published on: July 13, 2014
In utero alcohol effects on foetal, neonatal and childhood lung disease
Theresa W Gauthier1, Lou Ann S Brown1
1Department of Paediatrics, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Emory University, 2015 Uppergate Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Insights
Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy harms newborn lungs. New biomarkers and research are crucial to understand and address fetal alcohol exposure
Area of Science:
- Neonatal research
- Pulmonary medicine
- Toxicology
Background:
- Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy poses risks to newborns.
- Fetal alcohol exposure negatively impacts lung development and immune function.
- Identifying newborns exposed to alcohol in utero is challenging, limiting understanding of pulmonary effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advances in biomarkers for detecting in utero alcohol exposure.
- To highlight the impact of alcohol toxicity on the developing fetal lung and immune system.
- To present clinical evidence linking fetal alcohol exposure to adverse pulmonary outcomes in newborns.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on fetal alcohol exposure and pulmonary health.
- Analysis of biomarker development for in utero alcohol exposure.
- Examination of clinical studies on the association between fetal alcohol exposure and respiratory conditions.
Main Results:
- Fetal alcohol exposure adversely affects the developing lung and immune defense.
- Biomarker development is advancing to identify exposed newborns.
- Clinical evidence links fetal alcohol exposure to bronchopulmonary dysplasia, viral infections (e.g., RSV), and asthma/atopy.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification of alcohol-exposed offspring is essential.
- Further research is needed to fully determine alcohol's impact on respiratory outcomes in children.
- Understanding fetal alcohol's effects can lead to better prevention and management strategies for neonatal respiratory health.
Abstract:
Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy exposes both premature and term newborns to the toxicity of alcohol and its metabolites. Foetal alcohol exposure adversely effects the lung. In contrast to the adult "alcoholic lung" phenotype, an inability to identify the newborn exposed to alcohol in utero has limited our understanding of its effect on adverse pulmonary outcomes. This paper will review advances in biomarker development of in utero alcohol exposure. We will highlight the current understanding of in utero alcohol's toxicity to the developing lung and immune defense. Finally, we will present recent clinical evidence describing foetal alcohol's association with adverse pulmonary outcomes including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, viral infections such as respiratory syncytial virus and allergic asthma/atopy. With research to define alcohol's effect on the lung and translational studies accurately identifying the exposed offspring, the full extent of alcohol's effects on clinical respiratory outcomes of the newborn or child can be determined.
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