Bereket Duko1, Gavin Pereira2, Kim Betts3, Robert J Tait4, John Newnham5, Rosa Alati6. 1. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102, Australia. Electronic address: b.adema@postgrad.curtin.edu.au. 2. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Ave, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia; Centre for Fertility and Health (CeFH), Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. 3. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102, Australia. 4. National Drug Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, 7 Parker Place Building 609, Level 2 Technology Park, Bentley WA 6102, Australia. 5. Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 17 Monash Ave, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia. 6. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102, Australia; Institute for Social Sciences Research, The University of Queensland, 80 Meier's Rd, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068 Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures have been associated with adverse mental health consequences in offspring. The objective of this study was to test the associations between maternal prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures and depressive symptoms in the offspring, adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders. METHODS: We used data from 1168 mother-offspring pairs from the Raine Study based in Perth, Western Australia. Depressive symptoms at age 17 years were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y). Associations between prenatal alcohol and tobacco use and the risk of depressive symptoms in offspring were estimated by risk ratios (RR) derived with multivariable log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Among offspring who were assessed for depressive symptoms, 5% were born to mothers who consumed six or more standard drinks of alcohol per week during pregnancy and 20% were exposed to prenatal tobacco. After adjustment for confounders, depressive symptoms at the age of 17 years remained associated with maternal alcohol use of six or more standard drinks per week [RR 1.59 (95% CI: 1.11-2.26)] and any tobacco use [RR 1.36 (95% CI: 1.05-1.79)] during the first trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Offspring exposed to prenatal alcohol and tobacco use had greater risks of depressive symptoms compared with unexposed offspring, suggesting early screening and prevention of these exposures could possibly reduce depressive symptoms in offspring.
BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures have been associated with adverse mental health consequences in offspring. The objective of this study was to test the associations between maternal prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures and depressive symptoms in the offspring, adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders. METHODS: We used data from 1168 mother-offspring pairs from the Raine Study based in Perth, Western Australia. Depressive symptoms at age 17 years were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y). Associations between prenatal alcohol and tobacco use and the risk of depressive symptoms in offspring were estimated by risk ratios (RR) derived with multivariable log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Among offspring who were assessed for depressive symptoms, 5% were born to mothers who consumed six or more standard drinks of alcohol per week during pregnancy and 20% were exposed to prenatal tobacco. After adjustment for confounders, depressive symptoms at the age of 17 years remained associated with maternal alcohol use of six or more standard drinks per week [RR 1.59 (95% CI: 1.11-2.26)] and any tobacco use [RR 1.36 (95% CI: 1.05-1.79)] during the first trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Offspring exposed to prenatal alcohol and tobacco use had greater risks of depressive symptoms compared with unexposed offspring, suggesting early screening and prevention of these exposures could possibly reduce depressive symptoms in offspring.