Binge drinking during pregnancy and risk of seizures in childhood: a study based on the Danish National Birth Cohort

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Seizures are often found in children with fetal alcohol syndrome, but it is not known whether binge drinking during pregnancy by nonalcoholic women is associated with an increased risk of seizure disorders in children. The authors conducted a population-based cohort study of 80,526 liveborn singletons in the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002). Information on maternal binge drinking (intake of > or = 5 drinks on a single occasion) was collected in 2 computer-assisted telephone interviews during pregnancy. Children were followed for up to 8 years. Information on neonatal seizures, epilepsy, and febrile seizures was retrieved from the Danish National Hospital Register. Results showed that exposure to binge drinking episodes during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of seizure disorders in children, except for those exposed at 11-16 gestational weeks. These children had a 3.15-fold increased risk of neonatal seizures (95% confidence interval: 1.37, 7.25) and a 1.81-fold increased risk of epilepsy (95% confidence interval: 1.13, 2.90). These findings suggest that maternal binge drinking during a specific time period of pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of specific seizure disorders in the offspring. The results are exploratory, however, and need to be replicated.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Epidemiology
Volume169
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)313-22
Number of pages10
ISSN0002-9262
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2009

    Research areas

  • Adolescent, Adult, Alcohol Drinking, Cohort Studies, Denmark, Epilepsy, Female, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Follow-Up Studies, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Male, Maternal Exposure, Parity, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Seizures, Seizures, Febrile

ID: 32633571