Developmental, sensory and behavioral outcomes among infants and toddlers with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Most babies and toddlers with prenatal alcohol exposure already show motor, sensory, and behavior delays you can catch before age three.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Pruner et al. (2024) looked back at clinic charts of babies and toddlers who had been exposed to alcohol before birth.
They wanted to see how early delays show up in movement, senses, and behavior.
All kids were under three-and-a-half years old when the chart review was done.
What they found
Most of these little ones already showed clear lags in several areas.
Delays touched motor skills, sensory processing, and everyday behavior.
The team did not test an intervention; they simply mapped what was already in the charts.
How this fits with other research
Kalberg et al. (2023) worked with the same PAE group and added parent coaching.
They showed that teaching caregivers responsive play improved the home setting and gave small developmental gains.
Leung et al. (2016) ran a larger parent-training trial with preschoolers who had mixed delays.
Their program cut problem behaviors and lowered parent stress, giving a ready-made tool you could try with PAE toddlers.
Together, these studies turn Misty’s picture of early delay into a road map: spot delays early, then coach parents to lessen them.
Why it matters
You can screen for delays as soon as a PAE toddler walks through your door.
Use simple checklists for motor, sensory, and behavior red flags.
If you see gaps, start parent coaching right away—no need to wait.
The O and Cynthia papers give you ready scripts: responsive play, clear routines, and calm commands.
Early action can shift the child’s path before kindergarten.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can disrupt children's neurodevelopment and exert lasting influences on overall child well-being and family functioning. A comprehensive exploration of developmental outcomes in infants/toddlers with PAE seen for a diagnosis on the fetal alcohol spectrum can inform early identification and intervention. AIMS: To describe the prevalence and patterns of neurodevelopment, sensory processing, and emotional and behavioral functioning in a clinical sample of infants/toddlers with PAE. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, clinical data from 125 infants/toddlers with PAE, aged 2-42 months, assessed at the University of Washington Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network clinic were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-four to 87% of infants/toddlers demonstrated delayed development in one or more domains of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (n = 125). Adverse developmental outcomes were significantly correlated with PAE and/or postnatal risk factors. All 93 infants/toddlers with a complete Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile obtained definite difference scores in at least one quadrant/section. Over half of infant/toddlers with a completed Child Behavior Checklist/1½- 5 had total problem scores in the borderline or clinical range. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that several domains of child functioning may be vulnerable to the teratogenic impact of PAE, and that these delays are evident in the first years of life. Early screening, ongoing monitoring and comprehensive assessment is needed to facilitate earlier identification and guide clinical intervention.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104671