The Influence of Maternal Weight and Alcohol Exposure on Infant Physical Characteristics and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

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Citation

Hasken, Julie M.; Adair, Linda S.; Martin, Stephanie L.; Thompson, Amanda L.; Marais, Anna-Susan; de Vries, Marlene M.; Kalberg, Wendy O.; Buckley, David; Eugene Hoyme, H.; & Seedat, Soraya, et al. (2022). The Influence of Maternal Weight and Alcohol Exposure on Infant Physical Characteristics and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. Current Research in Toxicology, 3, 100076. PMCID: PMC9178472

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mothers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders tend to have lower weight compared to other mothers. Yet how alcohol and maternal weight may predispose infants to poorer physical growth and neurodevelopmental trajectories is relatively unexplained.
METHODS: South African mothers (n = 406) were recruited prenatally and their offspring were provided standardized dysmorphology and neurodevelopment examinations at 6 weeks and 9 months of age. Maternal weight was obtained postpartum, and linear mixed modeling determined whether postpartum maternal weight and prenatal alcohol exposure significantly influenced infant growth, dysmorphology, and neurodevelopment within the first year of life.
RESULTS: Postpartum maternal weight was positively associated with birth length, weight, and head circumference centile, but the rate of growth from birth to nine months was similar among all infants. Maternal weight was inversely associated with dysmorphology. Many infants in this population were performing within the borderline or extremely low range. Higher maternal weight was associated with significantly better cognitive and motor performance at 6 weeks; however, the rate of developmental growth was similar among all infants, regardless of postpartum maternal weight.
CONCLUSION: Higher postpartum maternal weight may be a protective factor but does not eliminate the adverse effects of alcohol on infant growth and dysmorphology. Regardless of maternal weight, alcohol remains a powerful teratogen and moderate to high use prenatally can result in adverse infant physical and neurocognitive development.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crtox.2022.100076

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2022

Journal Title

Current Research in Toxicology

Author(s)

Hasken, Julie M.
Adair, Linda S.
Martin, Stephanie L.
Thompson, Amanda L.
Marais, Anna-Susan
de Vries, Marlene M.
Kalberg, Wendy O.
Buckley, David
Eugene Hoyme, H.
Seedat, Soraya
Parry, Charles D. H.
May, Philip A.

Article Type

Regular

PMCID

PMC9178472

Continent/Country

South Africa

Sex/Gender

Women

ORCiD

Thompson, AL - 0000-0002-5872-738X
Adair - 0000-0002-3670-8073
Martin, S. - 0000-0002-0378-802X