title: Low to Moderate Average Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in Early Pregnancy: Effects on Choice Reaction Time and Information Processing Time in Five-Year-Old Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deficits in information processing may be a core deficit after fetal alcohol exposure. This study was designed to investigate the possible effects of weekly low to moderate maternal alcohol consumption and binge drinking episodes in early pregnancy on choice reaction time (CRT) and information processing time (IPT) in young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were sampled based on maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. At the age of 60-64 months, 1,333 children were administered a modified version of the Sternberg paradigm to assess CRT and IPT. In addition, a test of general intelligence (WPPSI-R) was administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusted for a wide range of potential confounders, this study showed no significant effects of average weekly maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy on CRT or IPT. There was, however, an indication of slower CRT associated with binge drinking episodes in gestational weeks 1-4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study observed no significant effects of average weekly maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy on CRT or IPT as assessed by the Sternberg paradigm. However, there were some indications of CRT being associated with binge drinking during very early pregnancy. Further large-scale studies are needed to investigate effects of different patterns of maternal alcohol consumption on basic cognitive processes in offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tina R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kilburn
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Hanne-Lise Falgreen
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.affiliation: Vejlefjord Rehabilitation Center, Stouby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Underbjerg
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lillebælt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark.
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thorsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Erik Lykke
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Nils Inge
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Landrø
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Leiv S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Bakketeig
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grove
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sværke
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulrik Schiøler
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Kesmodel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*