COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL DEFICITS ASSOCIATED WITH PARENTAL ALCOHOL-USE

Objective: To review and synthesize the scientific literature on cogni tive and behavioral deficits associated with parental alcohol use and to highlight areas for future attention. Method: Studies of children o f alcoholic parents (generally fathers) and of children prenatally exp osed to alcohol were reviewed, focusing on cognitive and behavioral fi ndings. Relevant animal studies were also reviewed. Results: Large num bers of children may be affected by parental alcohol use. Prenatal alc ohol exposure is frequently associated with specific cognitive and beh avioral deficits. Children of alcoholic fathers also can present with difficulties in learning, language, and temperament. Similarities in t he deficits of these two groups were noted. Conclusions: The problems associated with parental alcohol use merit much more clinical and rese arch attention. Current clinical approaches often fail to recognize th e diagnostic and therapeutic significance of this history, and subgrou ps of alcohol-affected children may confound research studies of other problems. Subtle deficits in learning, language, and self-regulation may be the most developmentally devastating and the least likely to be identified and addressed effectively. This is an important area in wh ich to combine behavior genetic and environmental approaches to unders tanding development.