Although there has been considerable research on the effects of prenatal alcohol consumption on offspring, few studies have carried this assessment beyond the neonatal period. Relatively little is known about the long-term effect of prenatal exposure to alcohol on child development. This proposal represents a unique opportunity to explore this relationship in a cohort of women and their children who currently are being studied during pregnancy and through the eighth postpartum month. We propose to extend the study of this cohort to assess the children at 18 months and 3 years of age. Growth parameters, morphological characteristics and neurological status will be assessed at each time point. Developmental status and behavioral characteristics will be measured using age-appropriate instruments. The study will: (1) Assess the physical development and morphological characteristics of children whose mothers drank heavily during pregnancy compared to those whose mothers drank infrequently or not at all. (2) Examine the developmental status and behavioral characteristics of these children at 18 months and 3 years. (3) Determine differences in electroencephalographic patterns and sleep organization in these children.
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