BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with a variety of structural abnormalities in the brain, including several within the para‐limbic system. Children with PAE have higher rates of internalizing disorders, including depression and anxiety, which may be related to underlying limbic system anomalies.MethodsChildren aged 8 to 16 with PAE (n = 41) or without PAE (n = 36) underwent an magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and parents completed behavioral questionnaires about their children. Semi‐automated procedures (FreeSurfer) were used to derive para‐limbic volumes from T1‐weighted anatomical images.ResultsThere were significant group differences (PAE vs. nonexposed controls) in the caudate, hippocampus, and the putamen; children with PAE had smaller volumes in these regions even after controlling for total intracranial volume. A trend‐level association was seen between caudate volume and internalizing symptoms in children with PAE; smaller caudate volumes (presumably reflecting less optimal neurodevelopment) were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms in these children.ConclusionsCaudate structure may be disproportionately affected by PAE and may be associated with the later development of internalizing symptoms in those affected by PAE.

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Background Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to a variety of neurodevelopmental challenges, including social functioning (SF) and executive functioning (EF) deficits. These deficits present differently across developmental stages from preschool age to adolescence. Methods The post hoc analyses described here were conducted on data from 83 preschool‐age children with PAE (early childhood group; ages 2.5 to 5.0) and 95 adolescents (49 with PAE, 46 controls; ages 8 to 16). Each child completed EF tasks as part of several prior studies. Parents completed social and communication inventories about their child’s abilities. Thirty‐three participants from the early childhood group returned for a 4‐year follow‐up and completed both SF and EF measures. Results Both the early childhood and adolescent groups with PAE showed deficits in SF and EF. There was a relationship between SF and EF within the adolescent PAE group that was not present in the adolescent control group or the early childhood PAE group. However, at the 4‐year follow‐up (Mage = 8.45), participants originally in the early childhood PAE group also demonstrated this relationship. Conclusions These findings support previous research on EF/SF deficits in adolescents with PAE while also addressing a gap in the literature concerning early childhood research on this topic. Additionally, these findings suggest that the relationship between EF and SF deficits may strengthen throughout development. This line of research highlights potential sensitive periods for SF and EF training in children with PAE and suggests that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders programs consider targeting EF training as a component of social skill interventions.