1
|
Khemiri L, Kuja-Halkola R, Larsson H, Butwicka A, Tideman M, D'Onofrio BM, Latvala A, Lichtenstein P. Parental substance use disorder and risk of intellectual disability in offspring in Sweden: a national register study. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 63:102170. [PMID: 37680949 PMCID: PMC10480548 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Intellectual disability (ID) is a disorder with unknown aetiology in many cases. Maternal alcohol use is a known risk factor for ID, but less is known about the importance of maternal and paternal substance use disorder (SUD) and risk of ID in offspring. Methods Data from multiple nationwide registers were used to create a cohort of children born from January 01, 1978 to December 31, 2002. All participants were born in Sweden, had available parental identification information and did not emigrate or die before age 12 (n = 1,940,820). Logistic regression modelling was performed with exposure defined as having a parent who received any SUD diagnosis, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD). The outcome was registration of diagnosis of any form of ID. First, we analysed the risk of ID if parental SUD was registered prior to childbirth with stepwise adjustment of multiple covariates. Second, the effect of timing of SUD diagnosis in relation to childbirth was analysed. Findings Of 37,410 offspring with parental SUD registered prior to birth, 3.0% (n = 1110) had any form of ID compared to 1.2% (n = 23,168) of those 1,903,410 individuals without parental SUD prior birth. Parental SUD prior birth was associated with an increased risk of any form of ID (Odds Ratio [OR]: 2.3 [2.2-2.5]), with ORs similar for maternal (OR: 2.3 [2.1-2.5]) and paternal SUD (OR: 2.3 [2.1-2.5]). These ORs were reduced but remained statistically significant after adjusting for parental education, migration, psychiatric comorbidity, and co-parent SUD (OR parental SUD: 1.6 [1.5-1.8]; OR maternal SUD: 1.4 [1.2-1.5]; OR paternal SUD: 1.6 [1.5-1.7]). Parental SUD was associated with increased risk of ID in offspring irrespective of timing of diagnosis, but if mothers or fathers were diagnosed with AUD during pregnancy (OR maternal AUD: 5.0 [3.1-8.2]; OR paternal AUD: 2.8 [2.2-3.6]), the risk was significantly greater than if the AUD diagnosis was first registered after childbirth (OR maternal AUD: 1.9 [1.8-2.0]; OR paternal AUD: 1.6 [1.6-1.7]). Interpretation Both paternal and maternal SUD were associated with an increased risk of ID in offspring, with greatest risk observed when AUD was diagnosed during pregnancy. Possible mechanisms may involve shared genetic and environmental factors, including toxic effects from alcohol intake. These findings have clinical implications in suggesting that parental SUD in either parent represents a possibly modifiable risk factor to consider when developing prevention, diagnostics and treatment programs for children with ID. Funding Stockholm County Council, the Research Council of the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly, Fredrik and Ingrid Thurings stiftelse, Academy of Finland, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Nordforsk by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Polish Medical Research Agency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lotfi Khemiri
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ralf Kuja-Halkola
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Agnieszka Butwicka
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health Services, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Magnus Tideman
- Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Brian M. D'Onofrio
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Antti Latvala
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bandoli G, Hayes S, Delker E. Low to Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Narrative Review and Methodological Considerations. Alcohol Res 2023; 43:01. [PMID: 36950180 PMCID: PMC10027299 DOI: 10.35946/arcr.v43.1.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Although abstinence is recommended in pregnancy, many pregnancies are exposed to alcohol. Observational studies of the effects of low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and neurodevelopmental outcomes have yielded inconsistent results, with some studies finding an increased risk of adverse neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes, and other studies finding no changes or reduced risk of the same outcomes. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize these inconsistencies and apply a methodological framework to discuss how different parameters contribute to the findings. The authors also provide recommendations on how to advance future research in this area. SEARCH METHODS The PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched, along with reference lists of selected systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Search terms used were (infant or child or children or adolescent or offspring) AND (low or light or mild or moderate or low-to-moderate) AND (drinking or alcohol or drinks) AND (pregnancy or prenatal or fetal) AND (neurodevelopment or behavioral or psychological or cognitive or developmental) NOT (mice or rat or fish or animal) NOT (meta-analysis or review). Peer-reviewed original research studies were included if they analyzed associations between an exposure defined and characterized as low/light or moderate PAE with offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. Animal studies, studies that did not provide clear cutoff points to classify PAE categories, studies lacking an abstinence control group, and studies that did not present a multivariable-adjusted measure of association were excluded. SEARCH RESULTS The searches identified 2,422 papers, with 36 papers meeting eligibility criteria. These studies were carried out across nine countries and included samples ranging from approximately 500 to 40,000 participants. Cognitive, academic, socioemotional, and behavioral outcomes were assessed from infancy through age 19. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION When the findings from the selected articles were summarized by geographic region, exposure definition, or neurodevelopmental outcome, no consistent observations or patterns emerged between low to moderate PAE and offspring outcomes. Although some studies found positive (i.e., beneficial) associations between low to moderate PAE and outcomes (primarily outcomes related to cognition) and others found negative (i.e., detrimental) associations (primarily for behavioral outcomes), most findings were null (i.e., showed no effect of PAE). The heterogeneity in study results is likely due to methodological issues, including residual confounding, effect measure modification, and exposure misclassification that make synthesis of studies difficult. Alternative study designs, including longitudinal trajectory analysis, sibling design, negative controls, and instrumental variable analyses, may reduce biases and are discussed. To date, the consequences of light to moderate levels of PAE on neurodevelopment remain unresolved; studies that advance methodological rigor will be important contributions to the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Bandoli
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Shana Hayes
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Erin Delker
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yin W, Döring N, Persson MSM, Persson M, Tedroff K, Ådén U, Sandin S. Gestational age and risk of intellectual disability: a population-based cohort study. Arch Dis Child 2022; 107:826-832. [PMID: 35470219 PMCID: PMC9411878 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-323308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the association between gestational age at birth and risk of clinically diagnosed intellectual disability (ID) week by week to provide a detailed description of ID risk across the entire range of gestational ages and by severity of ID. METHODS All individuals born alive in Sweden 1974-2017 were prospectively followed up from birth until 2017 using national registers. The HRs for ID according to weekly gestational age and gestational age categories were determined using Cox models. Sibling analyses were conducted to adjust for familial confounding. RESULTS The study included 3 572 845 live births. During the follow-up, 26 596 ID cases were registered. The adjusted weekly estimates showed a gradual increase in risk of ID from week 40 to week 24 (adjusted HR37weeks=1.80 (1.74 to 1.87), aHR32weeks=3.93 (3.73 to 4.13), aHR28weeks=7.53 (6.95 to 8.16), aHR24weeks=21.58 (18.62 to 25.00)) and from week 41 onwards (aHR42weeks=1.26 (1.19 to 1.32)), with statistically significantly higher risks across the range of gestational age compared with infants born at week 40. The associations were consistent in mild, moderate and severe/profound ID but most prominent for severe/profound ID. CONCLUSION The risk of ID increased weekly as the date of delivery moved away from 40 weeks, both preterm and post-term. The results remained robust after detailed adjustment for confounding, including familial confounding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiyao Yin
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden .,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Nora Döring
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Monica S M Persson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martina Persson
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristina Tedroff
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Ådén
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Sandin
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Psychiatry, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Corrêa ML, da Silva BGC, Wehrmeister FC, Horta BL, Gonçalves H, Anselmi L, Barros F, Menezes AMB. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and intelligence quotient of offspring aged 18 and 30 years: Evidence from two birth cohorts in southern Brazil. Prev Med 2022; 156:106983. [PMID: 35150754 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Maternal smoking during pregnancy causes several harmful effects, including deficits in the intelligence quotient (IQ), a measure associated with academic achievements and higher socioeconomic position. We aimed to measure the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring's IQ in two birth cohorts from Pelotas, Brazil. Data from the 1982 and 1993 birth cohorts were analyzed. Smoking during pregnancy was ascertained at the perinatal follow-up, and IQ was measured at 30 years (1982) and 18 years (1993). Simple and multiple linear regressions were used for crude and adjusted analysis. Mediation analysis was performed using birth weight and breastfeeding as possible mediators. Data analysis was conducted in 2020. There were 3611 and 4050 participants from the 1982 and 1993 cohorts, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, the inverse association between smoking during pregnancy and children's IQ remained significant in both cohorts. Offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy had an average of 1.32 less IQ points (95%CI: -2.23, -0.242) in the 1982 cohort, and an average of 1.66 less IQ points (95%CI: -2.42, -0.90) in the 1993 cohort. Neither cohort showed association with paternal smoking (negative controls) after adjustment. Breastfeeding's mediated effects accounted for 26.2% and 23.9% of the association in the 1982 and 1993 cohorts, respectively, while birth weight's accounted for 6.8% and 30.1%, respectively; indirect effects were not significant. The inverse association between maternal smoking and IQ and the lack of association with paternal smoking reinforces our findings of a negative association between exposure and outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Lima Corrêa
- Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil; Centro de Epidemiologia Ufpel Dr. Amilcar Gigante, R. Mal. Deodoro, 1160 - Centro, Pelotas, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Bernardo L Horta
- Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Helen Gonçalves
- Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Luciana Anselmi
- Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Fernando Barros
- Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Madley-Dowd P, Lundberg M, Heron J, Zammit S, Ahlqvist VH, Magnusson C, Rai D. Maternal smoking and smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy and offspring development: sibling analysis in an intergenerational Swedish cohort. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 50:1840-1851. [PMID: 34999852 PMCID: PMC8743113 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and offspring intellectual disability (ID) is less well understood than that of smoking and fetal growth restriction. As fetal growth and cognitive development may share similar confounding structures, comparison of the two associations may improve understanding of the causal nature of the association with ID. Furthermore, comparisons of smoking with smokeless tobacco use may aid identification of mechanisms of action. Methods This was a cohort study of all Swedish births between 1999 and 2012 (n = 1 070 013), with prospectively recorded data. We assessed the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring outcomes ID and born small for gestational age (SGA). Analyses were repeated for snus use in pregnancy. Using a sibling design, we estimated within-family effects that control for shared sibling characteristics. Results Those exposed to maternal smoking in pregnancy had increased odds of ID [odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.33] and SGA (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 2.11-2.27) after confounder adjustment. Within-family effects were found for SGA (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.27-1.63) but not ID (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.74-1.14). For snus use, the results for ID were similar to smoking. We found increased odds of offspring SGA among mothers who used snus in pregnancy in sensitivity analyses but not in primary analyses. Conclusions Our findings are consistent with a causal effect of maternal smoking in pregnancy on risk of offspring born SGA but not on risk of ID. We found no evidence for a causal effect of snus use in pregnancy on ID and inconclusive evidence for SGA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Madley-Dowd
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Lundberg
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jon Heron
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Stanley Zammit
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Viktor H Ahlqvist
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Magnusson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Avon and Wiltshire Partnership, NHS Mental Health Trust, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
The goal of much observational research is to identify risk factors that have a causal effect on health and social outcomes. However, observational data are subject to biases from confounding, selection and measurement, which can result in an underestimate or overestimate of the effect of interest. Various advanced statistical approaches exist that offer certain advantages in terms of addressing these potential biases. However, although these statistical approaches have different underlying statistical assumptions, in practice they cannot always completely remove key sources of bias; therefore, using design-based approaches to improve causal inference is also important. Here it is the design of the study that addresses the problem of potential bias - either by ensuring it is not present (under certain assumptions) or by comparing results across methods with different sources and direction of potential bias. The distinction between statistical and design-based approaches is not an absolute one, but it provides a framework for triangulation - the thoughtful application of multiple approaches (e.g. statistical and design based), each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and in particular sources and directions of bias. It is unlikely that any single method can provide a definite answer to a causal question, but the triangulation of evidence provided by different approaches can provide a stronger basis for causal inference. Triangulation can be considered part of wider efforts to improve the transparency and robustness of scientific research, and the wider scientific infrastructure and system of incentives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Hammerton
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|