Background: This study examined the association between prenatal alcohol ex
posure and self-report of depressive symptoms in 5- to 6-year-old children.
Higher levels of prenatal alcohol exposure were hypothesized to be associa
ted with endorsement of a greater number of depressive symptoms in children
. It was also hypothesized that maternal depression, although associated wi
th drinking behavior, would contribute independently to outcome. Finally, t
he mother's behavior toward the child, as well as current drinking practice
s, were postulated to mediate the relationship between prenatal alcohol exp
osure and child depressive symptoms.
Methods: Participants were 41 mother-child dyads who had been followed long
itudinally since the children were 1 year of age. Self-report questionnaire
s for maternal and child depression were used.
Results: Results revealed that prenatal alcohol exposure, maternal depressi
on, and child gender seemed to be highly associated with child depressive s
ymptoms. Girls who had higher levels of prenatal alcohol exposure and whose
mothers acknowledged higher levels of depression endorsed the highest numb
er of depressive symptoms. Neither the mother's behavior in interaction wit
h the child nor her current level of alcohol consumption mediated the relat
ionship.
Conclusions: The importance of considering prenatal alcohol exposure as a r
isk variable in the prediction of childhood-onset depression and the possib
le neurological mechanisms underlying depression in children with alcohol e
xposure in utero are discussed.