Associations of maternal alcohol and non-prescribed substance use with early child growth
Background: Perinatal alcohol and non-prescribed substance use may be detrimental to foetal and infant growth. Aim: This observational study investigated how combined and continued alcohol and non-prescribed substance use throughout antenatal and 1-year postnatal periods were associated with advers...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-06-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2486 |
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| Summary: | Background: Perinatal alcohol and non-prescribed substance use may be detrimental to foetal and infant growth.
Aim: This observational study investigated how combined and continued alcohol and non-prescribed substance use throughout antenatal and 1-year postnatal periods were associated with adverse child length and weight outcomes up to 24 months.
Setting: Data from participants (n = 1098) with information on alcohol and non-prescribed substance use and infant and child outcomes, were drawn from a prospective birth cohort in the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), conducted in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Methods: Generalised estimating equations were conducted on standardised child length and weight outcomes at 12, 18 and 24 months.
Results: Non-prescribed substances consisted mostly of tobacco use (77%). Child length and weight were significantly lower in those exposed to the combined use of alcohol and substances compared to no-use and all other use groups (p 0.001), as confirmed by multivariable analyses. Child length and weight were also significantly lower in those exposed to alcohol and/or substance use throughout the antenatal and 1-year postnatal periods, as confirmed by multivariable analyses.
Conclusion: Interventions to address the potential long-term adverse effects of combined alcohol and substance use particularly tobacco use, as well as continuous use throughout antenatal and early postnatal periods on subsequent child growth, are needed.
Contribution: This study has contributed to the field by showing that combined and continued use of alcohol and other substances during pregnancy and postpartum is associated with impaired early child growth. |
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| ISSN: | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |