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Even minimal alcohol and tobacco use by pregnant women affects their child’s brain performance later. This the conclusion of a multisite, collaborative study helmed by Columbia University psychiatrists. The researchers reviewed the brain wave studies of 649 children at various ages from 5 to 11 years looking at abnormalities as a function of maternal exposures to alcohol and/or tobacco.

The good news is that 52% of the children’s mothers used NO alcohol and 87% did NOT smoke tobacco. The remainder of children demonstrated significant brain wave aberrations in association with their mothers’ exposures. Looking at alcohol exposures, children who mothers continued drinking through pregnancy evidenced double the EEG abnormalities compared with those who mothers discontinued drinking after the first trimester. Tobacco smoking during pregnancy led to significant EEG changes in the young offspring, but, interestingly enough, more so in young boys.

Other studies have shown that maternal alcohol and tobacco abuse are associated with childhood hyperactivity, cognitive malfunctions, memory issues, and impaired learning. This study, the first to look at mild to moderate drinking and smoking during pregnancy, confirms that ANY alcohol and/or tobacco consumption has long-term consequences for a growing child. There is no safe amount of smoking or drinking that won’t affect your child’s developing brain just as there is no such thing as a “touch of pregnancy!”

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2813608

#alcohol #tobacco #EEG #hyperactivity #cognitive #memory

Drinking and Smoking During Pregnancy Impacts Kids Brains

Dr. Howard Smith Reports