Maternal Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy and Infant Social, Mental, and Motor Development

Abstract

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a significant social problem associated with developmental difficulties in young children. Child developmental and behavioral characteristics were examined from the 9-month data point of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies—Birth Cohort, a prospective nationally representative study. Several findings indicate linear patterns between the amount of prenatal alcohol dosage and sensory regulation, mental, and motor development outcomes. Undesirable social engagement and child interaction were found to be statistically significant at the prenatal alcohol level of one to three drinks per week. Children exposed to four or more drinks per week showed statistically significant and clinically passive behavior on three sensory regulation variables.