The association between prenatal alcohol consumption and preschool child stress system disturbance

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is considered a risk factor for child development; however, child biomarkers of prenatal alcohol exposure have been rarely studied. We examined whether a meconium alcohol metabolite (ethyl glucuronide, EtG) was associated with child cortisol concentrations at primary school age.

For 137 children, prenatal alcohol exposure was operationalized by the meconium biomarker EtG and by maternal self-reports during pregnancy. Two EtG cut-offs (EtG ≥10 ng/g and EtG ≥112 ng/g) were applied. Cortisol concentrations were measured in saliva and hair samples.

Children with EtG ≥10 ng/g showed significantly reduced hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) (p = .050, $$  = 0.042). For children with EtG ≥112 ng/g, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) was significantly decreased (p = .025, $$  = 0.070). These effects were also present in correlational analyses with continuous EtG data, speaking for partly dose-dependent effects. Especially, within the EtG ≥112 ng/g group, the basal (CAR: r_p  = -.642, p = .120) and cumulative (HCC: r_p  = -.660, p = .107) cortisol parameters were associated with child emotional symptoms at medium effect size.

The present study showed both the biological association of intrauterine alcohol exposure with the cortisol stress system, partly dose-dependent, and the functional association with emotional and behavioral symptoms.