Streissguth et al.(1994) Seattle Longitudinal study started in 1974 to examined long term effects of PAE At this point there was little evidence that alcohol was teratogenic. Looked at 3 main teratogenic outcomes: –Growth, morphology, function Prospective population-based study, that was generalizable

Interviewed 1529 women from two hospitals during the 5 th month of pregnancy Asked about many prenatal health factors. Drinking during pregnancy was common: –Women tended to be honest –Represented various SES –Use of other drugs was low About 80% reported some alcohol use during pregnancy

Averaged over 1 drink per day before pregnancy was known, and <1 drink per day at mid-pregnancy Average drinking occasions were 9 per month 39% binge drinkers before pregnancy was known and 25% binge drinkers at mid-pregnancy 8% had a major alcohol problem

Selected a follow-up cohort sample of 500 subjects –Less than half were infrequent drinkers or abstained from alcohol –Others were light to heavy drinkers –Majority were white, married, middle class IV: alcohol use during pregnancy Offspring were examined at day 1 and 2 of life, 8 and 18 months, 4, 7, and 14 years (teacher evaluations at 8 and 11 years). At 14 years, 82% of original sample was retained

X: PAE Y: IQ Correlation between PAE and IQ of child

X: PAE Y: IQ Z

X: PAE Y: IQ Z

X: PAEY: IQ Z2 Z1 Z3

Multiple Regression is used when there is more than one predictor variable. If you are predicting IQ scores in children you may have many predictor variables: PAE, drug use, smoking, maternal IQ, nutrition, SES You can predict DV (IQ) based on all three predictors, which usually is more accurate than one predictor. Allows the researcher to simultaneously consider the influence of each predictor variables on the outcome variable.

X: PAE Y: IQ Z

X: PAE Y1: IQ Z Partial Least Squares is used when there are multiple predictor variables and multiple outcome variables. Y2: Behavior Y3: Memory

Infancy and early childhood Poor habituation, reflexes Low arousal, sleep-wake disruptions Tremors, poor sucking response 8 months: decreases in mental and motor development 4 years: decrease in IQ, balance, reaction time, arithmetic

School-age PAE no longer related to size, but still to facial morphology in highly exposed children Spatial and verbal memory, problem solving, perceptual motor function Average 7 point decrease in IQ associated with 1+ ounces of alcohol per day. Arithmetic and reading, digit span

Late childhood and adolescence Distractibility, restlessness, lack of persistence, not meeting challenges Learning and reasoning problems Arithmetic, memory Attention, Inhibition

Conclusions Alcohol not consistency associated with growth Facial dysmorphology decreased with age Strongest effects on neurobehavioral functioning Effects were generally dose-dependent, no threshold Binge drinking salient