Prenatal alcohol exposure and depressive features in children

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.