Research article summary:

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant mental development: a meta-analytical review.

Abstract Extract:
AIMS: Although research on fetal alcohol exposure has had a significant effect on social norms and public policy, there has been little quantitative review of this literature. METHODS: Meta-analysis was used to examine the effects of prenatal alcohol ... (Full abstract text below)

Published 2003 Jul-Aug in Journal: Alcohol Alcohol (Language : eng)

Full Pubmed Extract

This information was retrieved, real-time, on your behalf from the public area of the Pubmed website:

1. Alcohol Alcohol. 2003 Jul-Aug;38(4):295-304

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant mental development: a meta-analytical review.

Testa M, Quigley BM, Eiden RD

Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

AIMS: Although research on fetal alcohol exposure has had a significant effect on social norms and public policy, there has been little quantitative review of this literature. METHODS: Meta-analysis was used to examine the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant mental development, assessed using the Mental Development Index (MDI) from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, a widely used, standardized measure. The current study examined the effects of three levels of average daily exposure during pregnancy: less than 1 drink per day, 1-1.99 drinks per day and 2 or more drinks per day. Analyses were conducted separately for effects derived from observations of 6-8-, 12-13- and 18-26-month-old children. RESULTS: Fetal alcohol exposure at all three dosage levels was associated with significantly lower MDI scores among 12-13-month-olds. The effect was attenuated, but not eliminated, when effect sizes adjusted for relevant covariates were used. For younger and older children, the effect of fetal alcohol exposure did not attain statistical significance at any dosage level. CONCLUSIONS: This pattern of results may reflect differences in MDI item content at different ages and the differential sensitivity of these abilities to prenatal alcohol exposure. Because the body of relevant literature is neither large nor conclusive, and because of heterogeneity in measurement, analysis and samples, caution is urged in interpreting results. Future research would benefit from use of more specific measures of infant outcomes and consideration of the impact of relevant covariates, different dosage patterns and timing of drinking on infant mental development.

PMID : 12814894 [PubMed - Indexed for MEDLINE]

This information is obtained from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright. Type "NLM copyright" into Google for more information.

Full Author Information

First Name	LastName	Initials
Maria	Testa	M
Brian M	Quigley	BM
Rina Das	Eiden	RD

Affiliation: Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

3rd Party provider links

Click the links below to go to related 3rd party information:

MESH categories and related page links

This article was linked to the MESH categories shown on the left below. The links on the right are related Memletics pages.

Links for this article

For links to places where you can get the full text of this article see links. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text.

New! Using similar technology to this site, we have launched find-health-articles.com, targeting over 1 million health research article abstracts.

Here are some articles related to this one (by title keywords):

Analytical psychology and its relation to psychoanalysis. A personal view.

The role of prenatal stress in the etiology of developmental behavioural disorders.

Effect of prenatal PAH exposure on birth outcomes and neurocognitive development in a cohort of newborns in Poland. Study design and preliminary ambient data.

Secondhand effects of student alcohol use reported by neighbors of colleges: the role of alcohol outlets.

Rethinking positive and negative aspects of alcohol use: suggestions from a comparison of alcohol expectancies and decisional balance.

Organizing and activating effects of sex hormones in homosexual transsexuals.

Neurobehavioral performance of Inuit children with increased prenatal exposure to methylmercury.

Modulation of the effects of alcohol on driving-related psychomotor skills by chronic exposure to cannabis.

The effects of prenatal group genetic counselling on knowledge, anxiety and decisional conflict: issues for nuchal translucency screening.

Differential effects of alcohol and alcohol expectancy on risk-taking during simulated driving.

>>> Get more research article abstracts like these, or browse abstracts.

Keywords in this article:

abilities, adjusted, ages, aims, alcohol, analyses, analysis, assessed, associated, attain, attenuated, average, bayley, benefit, body, caution, children, conclusions, conclusive, conducted, consideration, content, covariates, current, daily, day, derived, development, differences, different, differential, dosage, drink, drinking, drinks, effect, effects, eliminated, examine, examined, exposure, fetal, future, heterogeneity, impact, index, infant, interpreting, item, large, less, levels, literature, little, lower, mdi, measure, measurement, measures, mental, meta, methods, month, more, norms, not, observations, old, older, olds, outcomes, pattern, patterns, per, policy, pregnancy, prenatal, public, quantitative, reflect, relevant, research, results, review, samples, scales, scores, sensitivity, separately, significance, significant, sizes, social, specific, standardized, statistical, study, three, timing, urged, widely, younger

Also, see our new free speed reading online course (beta version)