New study explores developmental, sensory and behavioral outcome in infants, toddlers, with prenatal alcohol exposure

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can affect children’s wellbeing, development, and family functioning, yet PAE is under-recognized by early childhood practitioners. This is unfortunate, since early intervention can help these children and their families minimize the long-term effects of PAE. A new paper explores the neurodevelopment, sensory processing, emotional and behavioral functioning in infants and toddlers with PAE. More than three quarters of the studied children had delayed development in one or more areas. Greater understanding of the issues and delays that these children can experience can help practitioners identify and offer help to children with PAE, mitigating its effects. 

This study, carried out at the University of Washington Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network clinic, analyzed data from 125 young children aged between 2 and 42 months. Key findings include: 

• A large majority (74-87%) of these children showed developmental delays, affecting various aspects of their growth and learning abilities.
• Roughly half of the children also struggled with sensory processing, meaning they may react differently to physical sensations than other children do.
• Emotional and behavioral problems were common, with more than half of the children showing difficulties in these areas.

The study highlights the critical need for early and thorough screenings and assessments to identify children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) as soon as possible, so that interventions can be offered. The sooner help is offered to these children and their families, the more they can address and manage the challenges that come with PAE.

The study, online now in Research in Developmental Disabilities, was conducted by Tracy Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L, Professor; Carolyn Baylor, PhD, Associate Professor; as well as Misty Pruner, PhD, OTR/L; and Susan Hemingway, PhD, Professor, from the University of Washington, Institute on Human Development and Disability.