Because
prenatal and postnatal drinking are moderately related, distinguishing between the effects of
prenatal exposure and the postnatal environment is often a major methodological challenge.56 Given that
alcohol data collected retrospectively seem
to be influenced
by postpartum drinking levels, it is more difficult
to distinguish between
prenatal and postnatal effects in studies that collect data on pregnancy
alcohol use retrospectively and
to attribute observed deficits in the infant or child
to prenatal exposure rather than postnatal environmental effects.
This course can be offered in either 2 or 4 hours and is designed for professionals interested in learning more about the effects of
prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs, the short and long term concerns of parental substance use and abuse, and recommendations for supporting children and families affected
by this issue.
The growth in research on the effects of
prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs on infant and child development has led
to an increased concern with how accurately
alcohol and drug
exposure can be ascertained
by maternal report.