Prenatal alcohol exposure - a systematic review of the effects on child motor function.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the available evidence on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on motor function in humans.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

POPULATION

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.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

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.