Alcohol odor elicits appetitive facial expressions in human neonates prenatally exposed to the drug

Early ontogeny as a unique developmental epoch for learning, memory and consequences of alcohol exposure: A Festschrift to honor the work of Dr. Norman E. Spear

“…These findings support and extend what has been established in rodent models, and suggest that the chemosensory properties of alcohol likely contribute to the initiation and maintenance of high levels of alcohol consumption in young adults with a history of PAE. These findings are also consistent with those of Faas et al (this issue) [10], who demonstrated that human infants exposed to alcohol via frequent maternal consumption recognized alcohol odor several weeks after parturition (i.e., 7–14 day old newborns), and responded with appetitive facial expressions. Overall, these findings illustrate how early exposure to chemosensory agents forge preferences that may persist across weeks to months (in rat) and potentially decades in humans.…”

Conditioned breathing depression during neonatal life as a function of associating ethanol odor and the drug's intoxicating effects

“…There is consistent experimental and clinical evidence indicating that prenatal alcohol exposure is a major risk factor relative to short‐ and long‐term detrimental consequences upon the respiratory system (Brien & Smith, ; Dubois et al, , ; Kervern, Dubois, Naassila, Daoust, & Pierrefiche, ; Mulder et al, ; Smith, Patrick, Sinervo, & Brien, ). Beyond the teratogenic effects of the drug upon the developing organism, the notion that nonassociative and associative learning capabilities are recruited by early alcohol exposure has also received preclinical and clinical support (Abate et al, ; Faas et al, ; Hay, ; Molina, Spear, Spear, Mennella, & Lewis, ; Youngentob et al, ). The present results validate recent findings relative to a progressive sensitization effect of the drug upon breathing depression in animal models when high doses of the drug are utilized throughout pregnancy (Dubois et al, ) or when ethanol exposure is circumscribed to the stage of late gestation (Culleré et al, ).…”

“…Similarly, low‐to‐moderate ethanol doses during late gestation facilitate olfactory ethanol detection and enhance intake and seeking behavior of different ethanol solutions or of gustatory psychophysical equivalents of the drug (Domínguez, Lopez, Chotro, & Molina, ; Domínguez, López, & Molina, ; Fabio et al, ; March, Abate, Spear, & Molina, ). In humans, neonates born to moderate drinkers exhibit higher positive hedonic facial expressions toward ethanol odor than newborns delivered by abstemious or light drinkers (Faas, March, Moya, & Molina, ; Faas, Spontón, Moya, & Molina, ).…”

Effects of alcohol and psychostimulants on the vasopressin system: Behavioural implications

“…Gestational exposure to alcohol is the best predictor during adolescence of ethanol abuse, and secondary exposure (after gestational contact with the drug) to ethanol at an early age increases the possibility of developing alcoholism . Recent results from our group indicate that alcohol odour elicits appetitive facial expressions in neonates prenatally exposed to the drug . It would be interesting to explore the involvement of the V1a receptor in the increased alcohol preference following early drug experience, suggested by transgenic animal experiments …”