Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Psychological Stress during Pregnancy Induce Attention and Neuromotor Impairments in Primate Infants

Abstract

This study examined the effect of moderate alcohol and/or psychological stress during prenancy on off-spring growth and behavior in 33 rhesus monkey infants (Macaca mulatta). Infants were derived from 1 of 3 groups of female: (1) alcohol-consuming,0.6g/Kg, Daily throughou gestation (equivalet, to 1-2 drinks), beginning 5 day prior to breeding;(2) alcohol-consuming (as above) and exposed to mild psychological stress(removal from home cage and exposed to 3 random noise bursts); (3) sucrose-consuming, equivolemic, and equicaloric to the alcohol solution.Beginning on day 4 postpartum, intantrs underwent brief weekly separations from their mother for assessment of growth, behavior, and facial dimensions. Results indicated that moderate alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy was sufficient to affect attention and neuromotor functioning, even though the infants were normol in birthweight, gestational length, and facial dimensions, Moreover, alcohol-induced neuromotor impairments were exacerbated by maternal exposure to psychological stress, and males from the alcohol/stress condition had reduced birthweights. Finally, although all females consuming alcohol produced viable offspring, alcohol accompanie by stress during gestation resulted in 23% fetal losses (abortion and stillbirths).

Sensory Processing Disorder in a Primate Model: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study of Prenatal Alcohol and Prenatal Stress Effects

“…The second goal was to examine whether prenatal exposure to alcohol, stress, or both would alter withdrawal responses (aversion) to repeated tactile stimulation in rhesus monkeys. Our studies to date indicate that rhesus infants from both prenatal stressand prenatal alcohol-exposed pregnancies exhibited reduced neonatal orienting and motor maturity (Schneider, 1992;Schneider, Moore, & Becker, 2001;Schneider, Roughton, & Lubach, 1997), increased stress hormone reactivity (Clarke, Wittwer, Abbott, & Schneider, 1994;Schneider, Moore, & Kraemer, 2004), learning deficits (Schneider, Moore, & Kraemer, 2001), and altered striatal DA system function (Roberts et al, 2004;Schneider et al, 2005). …”

Moderate Level Fetal Alcohol Exposure and Serotonin Transporter Gene Promoter Polymorphism Affect Neonatal Temperament and Limbic-Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Regulation in Monkeys

“…The monkeys in this study were part of an ongoing longitudinal study investigating the effects of moderate level FA-exposure alone or in conjunction with prenatal stress on behavior and brain function (36,38). At the onset of the experiments, healthy adult female rhesus monkeys that consistently and voluntarily consumed 0.6 g/kg of a 6% volume/volume (v/v) alcohol solution sweetened with NutraSweet (300 mg/ 100 ml) (Equal Sweetener, Merisant US, Inc., Chicago, IL) were identified.…”

“…This yields a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 20-50 mg/dl 60 minutes later, measured prior to pregnancy (36). The solutions were presented at 1600 hr five days per week beginning 5 days prior to breeding, throughout gestation, and ending at parturition.…”

“…We previously reported that FA-exposed infant monkeys exhibited reduced attention, impaired muscle tone and coordination (35,36), and poor emotion regulation compared to controls (37). Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) responses to stressful situations were increased, and behavioral adaptation to a 3 day maternal separation when the infants were 6 months old was compromised (38).…”

“…We conducted a genotypebased regrouping of previous data (36,38). We reassessed whether FA-exposed rhesus monkeys carrying the s allele (s group) showed different neonatal temperament (PNNAS) (41,42), as well as LHPA axis responses to stress in comparison to FA-exposed monkeys homozygous for the l allele (l/l group).…”