scholarly journals Prenatal Exposure And Child brain and mental Health (PEACH) study: protocol for a cohort study of children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e051660
Author(s):  
Catherine A Lebel ◽  
W. Ben Gibbard ◽  
Christina Tortorelli ◽  
Jacqueline Pei ◽  
Christian Beaulieu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Research Ethics Board ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
The University

IntroductionFetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), affects an estimated 4% of North Americans, and is the most common preventable cause of intellectual disability. Mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, are experienced by nearly all individuals with FASD. However, there is very limited knowledge about effective mental health treatments for individuals with FASD; effective treatments are hindered in part due to a lack of understanding of the basic neurobiology underlying internalising disorders in youth with FASD.Methods and analysisThe Prenatal Exposure And Child brain and mental Health (PEACH) study includes children aged 7–18 years. We will use longitudinal neuroimaging (anatomical T1-weighted, diffusion and passive viewing function MRI) and mental health assessments (Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children, Multi-dimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI-2), Kiddie Scale of Affective Disorders) to: (1) characterise brain development trajectories in youth with FASD, (2) determine whether brain alterations mediate increased anxiety and depression in youth with FASD and (3) identify baseline brain features that predict changes of anxiety and depression symptoms over the next 2 years. All of this will be done while considering sex and adverse postnatal experiences, which can significantly impact mental health and brain outcomes. This project will forge new understanding of FASD and mental health from a neurobiological perspective, highlighting key time periods (ie, sensitive windows) and brain regions (ie, that may be susceptible to neurostimulation), while identifying factors that predict individual trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board and the University of Alberta Health Research Ethics Board. Study results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, at relevant conferences and in conjunction with our knowledge mobilisation partners.

scholarly journals Prenatal alcohol exposure and offspring mental health: A systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 344-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh E. Easey ◽  
Maddy L. Dyer ◽  
Nicholas J. Timpson ◽  
Marcus R. Munafò
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

scholarly journals Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Coffee: Associated Congenital Complications and Adverse Birth Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3140
Author(s):  
Sarah Soyeon Oh ◽  
Sunwha Park ◽  
Young-Ah You ◽  
Yongho Jee ◽  
AbuZar Ansari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Coffee Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

A few studies to date have examined the association between prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and coffee, and congenital complications/adverse birth outcomes among South Korean populations. Thus, this study analyzed the data of 1675 Korean women with birth experience within the last 3 years for pregnancy-related health and nutritional behaviors and relative outcomes. During their pregnancies, 11.58% of the study population consumed alcohol at least once, 1.43% drank throughout all three trimesters, 1.13% smoked, 25.43% were exposed to secondhand smoking, and 28.18% consumed 3 coffees or more every day. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with 11.24 times increased risk of birth defects/disabilities [Odds Ratio (OR): 11.24, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.07–117.86] and 10.66 times increased risk of inherited metabolic diseases (OR: 10.66, 95% CI: 1.08–104.82). Prenatal secondhand smoke exposure (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.01–2.62) and coffee consumption (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22–3.03) was associated with increased risk of low birth weight. Such results were in alignment with that of previous studies and confirmed that prenatal alcohol, tobacco, and coffee exposure can have detrimental neonatal and maternal consequences.

Prenatal alcohol exposure and developmental programming of mental illness

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle J. Burgess ◽  
Karen M. Moritz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Psychiatric Illnesses ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

AbstractIt is well established that high-dose alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk for a plethora of adverse offspring outcomes. These include neurodevelopmental, cognitive and social deficits, as well as psychiatric illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. However, much less evidence is available on the effects of low- and early-dose alcohol exposure on mental health outcomes, regardless of the accumulating evidence that mental health outcomes should be considered in the context of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis. This review will discuss the evidence that indicates low-dose and early prenatal alcohol exposure can increase the risk of mental illness in offspring and discuss the mechanistic pathways that may be involved.

scholarly journals Intersection of Epigenetic and Immune Alterations: Implications for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre A. Lussier ◽  
Tamara S. Bodnar ◽  
Joanne Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
Epigenetic Patterns ◽  
The Impact

Prenatal alcohol exposure can impact virtually all body systems, resulting in a host of structural, neurocognitive, and behavioral abnormalities. Among the adverse impacts associated with prenatal alcohol exposure are alterations in immune function, including an increased incidence of infections and alterations in immune/neuroimmune parameters that last throughout the life-course. Epigenetic patterns are also highly sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure, with widespread alcohol-related alterations to epigenetic profiles, including changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNA expression. Importantly, epigenetic programs are crucial for immune system development, impacting key processes such as immune cell fate, differentiation, and activation. In addition to their role in development, epigenetic mechanisms are emerging as attractive candidates for the biological embedding of environmental factors on immune function and as mediators between early-life exposures and long-term health. Here, following an overview of the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on immune function and epigenetic patterns, we discuss the potential role for epigenetic mechanisms in reprogramming of immune function and the consequences for health and development. We highlight a range of both clinical and animal studies to provide insights into the array of immune genes impacted by alcohol-related epigenetic reprogramming. Finally, we discuss potential consequences of alcohol-related reprogramming of immune/neuroimmune functions and their effects on the increased susceptibility to mental health disorders. Overall, the collective findings from animal models and clinical studies highlight a compelling relationship between the immune system and epigenetic pathways. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the long-term and multisystem effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, laying the groundwork for possible novel interventions and therapeutic strategies to treat individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders – an Irish perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. i-v ◽  
Author(s):  
Nneka Orakwue ◽  
Fiona McNicholas ◽  
Kieran O'Malley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
The Impact

The impact of prenatal alcohol exposure is far reaching and transgenerational but is largely under diagnosed. This has been a major public health concern but remains an area that has lacked attention with regards service development and research in Ireland. There is a need for mental health professionals to have a good working knowledge of the range of deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Knowledge of these deficits will facilitate identification of affected children for early diagnosis and intervention. This paper reviews available literature on this topic using broad search criteria. The aim of this article is to create greater awareness among professionals working with children in Ireland considering the high rates of alcohol consumption and the fact that most cases of FASD present with chronic undiagnosed mental health problems.

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