10 For instance, twin and family studies report high heritability estimates for both ADHD 11–13 and alcohol use disorders 14, 15 and that the genetic risk factors are partly overlapping. An observed association might be spurious, caused by unmeasured familial factors common to both mothers and children. These studies are limited with respect to inferences regarding causal effects. 8 In a population-based cohort of 604 8-year-old children assessed for ADHD by both clinical diagnosis and ratings scales, 9 an association between maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and ADHD was found but disappeared after adjustment for measured covariates. However, when abstaining mothers were compared with mothers consuming more than eight drinks a week, a weak association was found.
In a prospective Danish birth cohort sample comprising 1628 mothers and children, no association between attention deficits in children was found when mothers abstaining from alcohol were compared with mothers with low to moderate consumption. 7ĭue to the large timespan between pregnancy and the development of child ADHD symptoms, prospective data collection is essential to ensure validity of measurements. 4 A positive association between maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and symptoms of ADHD in children has been reported in several studies, 5, 6 including a meta-analysis.
Some women continue to drink after becoming pregnant, 3 and ADHD is highly comorbid with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. ADHD symptoms, ADHD diagnosis, prenatal alcohol exposure, negative control, sibling control, MoBa cohort study IntroductionĪttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, is the most common behavioural disorder in childhood, manifests at an early age and affects approximately 5% of children worldwide.