COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS AT 2 YEARS OF AGE AFTER PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE OR PERINATAL ASPHYXIA

The purpose of this follow-up study was to assess and describe early c ognitive impairments in two-year-old children exposed to alcohol (1) u ntil the second trimester (n = 20), (2) until the third trimester (n = 20), (3) throughout pregnancy (n = 20), (4) children to mothers with preeclampsia (n = 37), (5) children surviving acute birth asphyxia (n = 14), and (6) a normal control group (n = 48). Alcohol exposure throu ghout pregnancy was found to be associated with impairments in languag e (mean SD score = -1.3) and visuo-motor development (mean SD score = -2.0). Preeclampsia was related to impairment in visuomotor developmen t (mean SD score = -1.2) and attention (mean SD score = -0.7). Alcohol exposure until the third trimester was associated with attention defi cit alone (mean SD score = -0.9). Alcohol exposure until the second tr imester and acute birth asphyxia were not associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. The study also showed that neuropsychol ogical test profiles of language, visuo-motor functions and attention may be obtained with the aid of an adapted version of the Bayley Menta l Scale and an evaluation of attention.