Maternal alcohol drinking pattern during pregnancy and the risk for an offspring with an isolated congenital heart defect and in particular a ventricular septal defect or an atrial septal defect

Abstract

Prenatal exposure to low-to-moderate levels of alcohol on a weekly basis or occasional binge drinking during the early part of pregnancy was not statistical significantly associated with the prevalence of isolated VSD and ASD in offspring.

The Problem of Confounding in Studies of the Effect of Maternal Drug Use on Pregnancy Outcome

“…The effect of the use of large amounts of alcohol on the embryo is well known and can result in a recognizable “fetal alcohol syndrome” [11] in which presence of a cardiac defect is one component. A teratogenic effect of moderate amounts of alcohol is more dubious [12]. Associations between alcohol use and some specific malformations like omphalocele and gastroschisis have been based on retrospective studies with a risk for recall bias [13].…”

Pregnancy and Birth Cohort Resources in Europe: a Large Opportunity for Aetiological Child Health Research

“…The aetiology of some rare conditions, such as congenital heart defects and childhood epilepsy, could be, and has been explored using large cohorts built from existing disease and related registers which can be linked . For some research questions these registers are however unlikely to have data on relevant exposures.…”

“…The aetiology of some rare conditions, such as congenital heart defects and childhood epilepsy, could be, and has been explored using large cohorts built from existing disease and related registers which can be linked. [18][19][20] For some research questions these registers are however unlikely to have data on relevant exposures. For example, biological samples as well as detailed questionnaire and physical examination data are rarely available in registers, which can assess exposures such as diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol and body composition with reasonable accuracy.…”

Maternal Alcohol Consumption before and during Pregnancy and the Risks of Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…There were 19 casecontrol studies [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] and four cohort studies. [35][36][37][38] The main characteristics of the included studies are presented in Table 1. As shown, 15 studies were conducted in the United States or Canada, seven in Europe, and one in Australia.…”