Research & Resources

Developmental pathways, especially prenatal ones, are key for determining whether someone will have problems with alcohol use later in their life. Prenatal exposure is linked to drinking problems in adulthood, but this paper provides even more information about this connection by finding that the amount of prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with the frequency of alcohol use and related consequences by the study’s participants. Researchers found that “as little as one drink per day during gestation are at risk of higher levels of drinking and more problems with alcohol by age 22.” Clinicians and prevention specialists should communicate the risks to pregnant women they encounter and help avoid this unnecessary risk factor. The study, “Prenatal alcohol exposure and offspring alcohol use and misuse at 22 years of age: A prospective longitudinal study,” was published in Neurotoxicology and Teratology. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism supported this work.