title: Prenatal alcohol exposure - a systematic review of the effects on child motor function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the available evidence on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on motor function in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women and their offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  The search strategy included Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and Scopus. The authors read titles and abstracts, and the articles that met the predefined criteria for inclusion were obtained and the full text read. The articles were assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Motor function measured on standardized or validated tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The search resulted in 311 titles and abstracts, of which 39 were found relevant for inclusion. The findings of this review suggest a negative effect when the maternal consumption exceeded a certain level. Of all studies reporting a maternal intake of more than four drinks/day, only one study showed no effect on motor function, and of all studies reporting intake levels of less than 10 drinks/week, only one study showed deficit on the children's motor function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While it appears consistent that high daily alcohol intake is associated with deficits in gross and fine motor function, and low weekly intake is not associated with such deficits, the issue of binge drinking is unsettled.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Denmark. bjornbay@me.com
authors.forename: Bjørn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bay
authors.forename: Ulrik Schiøler
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Kesmodel
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D002669:Child Welfare; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*