Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Metrics of Body and Brain Growth in Otherwise Typically Developing 9-10-year-old Children.

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Biological Processes: Psychophysiology

Abstract

A hallmark of individuals severely impacted by the teratogenic effects of alcohol includes reduced birth weight, brain circumference, and overall physical growth trajectories. Here, we investigate whether or not these metrics of growth are reduced by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in a large cohort of typically developing children, and how family income may augment or attenuate the effects of PAE on growth metrics.
Methods: Cross sectional data of body and brain size were collected from participants (n=11,880; ~12% with some PAE) as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD). Analyses utilized ABCD’s 2.0 data for analyses. The variables examined from both parent and child reported data include: retrospective maternal reports of substance use in pregnancy as well as birth weight, and then prospective collection of body-mass-index (BMI), intracranial and whole brain volumes (via sMRI) and family income at age 9-10 years. Variables are currently being examined for quality control and normality. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMMs) will be utilized to examine group differences in outcome growth metrics between participants without PAE versus those with early PAE (within first 8 weeks of gestation) or those with extended PAE (>8 weeks of gestation). Site will be utilized as a covariate for brain metrics. Given expected sex differences in outcome metrics representing growth, as well as often sex-specific effects of PAE, analyses will be run independently in males versus females. All GLMM analyses will be examined within 3 income brackets (low, middle, high) to examine differences in effect sizes of PAE on growth as a function of income. Bonferroni correction will be implemented to control for multiple comparisons across income categories. All preliminary analysis will be finished by November, 2020 with final analysis and paper writing will be finished by February, 2021.

General implication: This study will help to understand whether or not PAE is acting as a teratogen among typically developing kids, and with what is typically regarded as low levels of PAE. Further, these analyses will provide insight on whether or not the teratogenicity of low PAE fluctuates as a function of income, which likely serves as a proxy for a wide range of co-occurring pre- and post- natal environmental factors that are also influencing developmental outcomes alongside PAE and income.

Group Authors

University of California, Irvine

Authors

• Minhazul Mohsin, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Kristina A. Uban, University of California Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author