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O'Rourke C, Horne RSC, Nixon GM, Harris KR, Connelly A, Crichton A. Sleep Disturbance in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the Relationship to the Neurodevelopmental Profile. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2024; 45:e358-e364. [PMID: 38990137 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sleep disturbance is an important feature of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We sought to describe sleep patterns in school-aged children with FASD, in comparison with a typically developing community group, and investigate the relationship between sleep and neurodevelopmental profiles. METHOD The FASD cohort (N = 36) was recruited from a tertiary Australian FASD diagnostic center, and the typically developing group (N = 36) was previously recruited as a control cohort for a separate study. Sleep disturbance was assessed with the caregiver-completed Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire. Neurodevelopmental assessment results for the 10 domains impaired in FASD were used for correlations with sleep disturbance. RESULTS In the FASD group, 80% of children scored above the SDSC cutoff, compared with 22% of the control group ( p < 0.001). Statistically significant group differences were seen for all 6 subscales of the SDSC ( p < 0.05). The most frequently affected domains in the FASD group related to difficulties with initiating and maintaining sleep (58%), sleep-wake transition disorders (44%), and disorders of arousal (42%). A statistically significant relationship was not found between sleep and the severity of neurodevelopmental impairment or impairment of a particular domain, acknowledging the limitations of our small sample size. Half of the FASD sample (52%) were taking a pharmaceutical agent to support sleep, which was not associated with lower SDSC scores. CONCLUSION In this small study, sleep disturbances were frequently reported by carers of children with FASD, independent of the severity of their neurodevelopmental impairments. Persistent sleep disturbance despite the use of sleep medications highlights the need for prospective studies exploring sleep interventions in this population. Integration of behavioral sleep medicine into management is recommended for all children with FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia O'Rourke
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ; and
| | - Rosemary S C Horne
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ; and
- Melbourne Children's Sleep Centre, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gillian M Nixon
- Melbourne Children's Sleep Centre, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katrina R Harris
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Annette Connelly
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison Crichton
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Developmental Pediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ; and
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Chandler-Mather N, Crichton A, Shelton D, Harris K, Donovan C, Dawe S. Carer-reported sleep disturbance and carer- and teacher-rated executive functioning in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38607688 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2337715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have high rates of sleep disturbance and marked difficulties with executive functioning (EF). Sleep disturbance has been associated with poorer EF across development in typically developing children. The contribution of insomnia symptoms and nightmares to EF difficulties in children with PAE and FASD is unclear. The current study examined whether caregiver-reported insomnia symptoms and nightmares predicted difficulties with EF in children with PAE who were assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics. Archival data on 116 children with PAE assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics were extracted from databases. Children were assigned to a preschool-age group (3.1 to 5.9 years, n = 40) and a school-age group (5.9 to 10.9 years, n = 76). Insomnia symptoms and nightmares were measured using items extracted from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) while EF was measured using the caregiver and teacher Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) rating forms. Bootstrapped regression models were used examine the effects of insomnia symptoms and nightmares on domains of EF in each group while adjusting for potential confounds. For preschool children, insomnia symptoms were associated with greater daytime tiredness while nightmares were associated with greater difficulties with Emergent Metacognition according to their teachers. For school-age children, insomnia symptoms predicted greater EF difficulties across most domains according to their caregivers but not teachers. Sleep disturbance may compound EF impairments in children with PAE and should be screened for as part of FASD diagnostic assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Crichton
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Doug Shelton
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Australia
| | - Katrina Harris
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
| | - Caroline Donovan
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sharon Dawe
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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Wilson DA, Sullivan RM, Smiley JF, Saito M, Raineki C. Developmental alcohol exposure is exhausting: Sleep and the enduring consequences of alcohol exposure during development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 158:105567. [PMID: 38309498 PMCID: PMC10923002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading nongenetic cause of human intellectual impairment. The long-term impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on health and well-being are diverse, including neuropathology leading to behavioral, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Additionally negative effects also occur on the physiological level, such as the endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Among these diverse impacts is sleep disruption. In this review, we describe how prenatal alcohol exposure affects sleep, and potential mechanisms of those effects. Furthermore, we outline the evidence that sleep disruption across the lifespan may be a mediator of some cognitive and behavioral impacts of developmental alcohol exposure, and thus may represent a promising target for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Smiley
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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Reid N, Kent N, Hewlett N, Bagley K, Tsang TW, Goldsbury S, Williams R, Akison L, Holland L, Vanderpeet C, Doyle M, Boaden N, Hayes N. Factors to be considered as part of a holistic assessment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A scoping review. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:2007-2021. [PMID: 38226745 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
We undertook a scoping review to identify the factors outside of current fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnostic criteria to be considered as part of a holistic assessment process. This included physical, social, cultural, mental health and wellbeing factors to inform targeted recommendations and supports to improve outcomes for individuals with FASD. Evidence from this review will be used to inform the revision of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD. Six electronic databases were searched. Studies were eligible if they included factors outside of the diagnostic criteria that cover dysmorphology, growth restriction, neurodevelopmental impairments. Data charting and content analysis were performed to synthesize the results. One hundred twenty-one studies were included that spanned 12 key areas These included physical health, sleep, adverse postnatal experiences, substance use/other risk-taking behaviors, contact with the criminal justice system, mental health, First Nations cultural considerations, transition to adult roles, involvement with the out-of-home care system, feeding and eating, strengths/interests/external resources and incontinence. Areas to be considered as part of a holistic assessment and diagnostic process spanned individual, family, and system level factors. Results provide guidance for clinicians on the wide range of factors that could influence long-term health, development, and wellbeing for individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure and FASD. In practice, this guidance can be used to inform an individualized assessment process to facilitate tailored recommendations and supports to best meet the complex needs of individuals living with FASD and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Reid
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nykola Kent
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicole Hewlett
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The First Nations Cancer & Wellbeing Research Team, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kerryn Bagley
- La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
- Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tracey W Tsang
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Kids Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sarah Goldsbury
- Māori/Indigenous Health Innovation, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Robyn Williams
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentin, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Lisa Akison
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lorelle Holland
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Chelsea Vanderpeet
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael Doyle
- Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nirosha Boaden
- School of Social Work, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicole Hayes
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Chandler-Mather N, Betts J, Donovan C, Shelton D, Dawe S. Understanding the impacts of childhood adversity on sleep problems in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A comparison of cumulative and dimensional approaches. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1702-1712. [PMID: 37442612 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The developmental impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and postnatal exposure to adversity are typically considered in isolation. However, both contribute independently to sleep problems. Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have PAE and significant sleep disturbances. What is not clear is the relative contribution to these disturbances of exposure to early life adversity. This study examined how exposure to such adversity impacts frequent insomnia symptoms and nightmares in children with FASD and "At Risk" designations. METHODS We compared two approaches to modeling adversity in children who had undergone a diagnostic assessment for FASD: a cumulative risk approach that sums adversities to create a total score and an approach that treats exposure to threat and deprivation as independent dimensions. Data on caregiver-reported exposure to adversity and sleep problems for 63 children (aged 3 years 4 months to 7 years 8 months) were extracted from clinical archives. Cumulative risk, threat exposure, and deprivation exposure scores were computed and were tested as predictors of insomnia symptoms and nightmares. All analyses controlled for age and gender. RESULTS There were high rates of caregiver-reported sleep problems with 60.3% (n = 38) of children having nightmares and 44.4% (n = 28) having a frequent insomnia symptom. The cumulative risk analysis showed that for every additional exposure to adversity, the odds of having a caregiver-reported insomnia symptom increased by 38%. The dimensional analysis showed no relationship between deprivation and sleep problems. However, every additional exposure to threat increased the odds of nightmares by 93%. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to postnatal adversity contributes to sleep disturbances in children with FASD, with unique roles for cumulative risk and the threat dimension of adversity. The implications of these findings for the etiology and treatment of sleep disturbances in children with FASD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ned Chandler-Mather
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joseph Betts
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caroline Donovan
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Doug Shelton
- Community Child Health, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sharon Dawe
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Hammond L, Joly V, Kapasi A, Kryska K, Andrew G, Oberlander TF, Pei J, Rasmussen C. Adaptive behavior, sleep, and physical activity in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 131:104366. [PMID: 36279676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is broadly associated with impairments to adaptive behavior and dysfunctional sleep. Associations between sleep, adaptive behavior, and physical activity are frequently drawn in discussions of typical development and other clinical conditions. AIMS In this study, we sought to characterize patterns of sleep, adaptive behavior, and physical activity in adolescents with FASD. We also investigated the associations between sleep, adaptive behavior, and physical activity within this population. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Twenty-seven adolescents aged 11- to 17-years with a diagnosis of FASD and their caregivers participated in this study. All participants completed parent and youth questionnaires on adaptive behavior, sleep, and physical activity. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Adolescents with FASD displayed significant impairments to all domains of adaptive behavior and considerable sleep disturbance. Worse sleep was associated with older age and sleep-related breathing disturbances were associated with poorer social adaptive behavior. Participation in physical activity, particularly organized sport, was strongly associated with better adaptive behavior. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Adolescents with FASD experience considerable challenges with regards to sleep and adaptive behavior. Physical activity, particularly organized sport, may provide opportunities for the improvement of adaptive behavior in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Hammond
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Vannesa Joly
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Aamena Kapasi
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Kathryn Kryska
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gail Andrew
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tim F Oberlander
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Pei
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Carmen Rasmussen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Nightmares in Children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Their Typically Developing Peers. Clocks Sleep 2021; 3:465-481. [PMID: 34563055 PMCID: PMC8482126 DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep3030033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances than their typically developing (TD) peers. Pre-sleep anxiety and waking emotional content is known to affect the content and frequency of nightmares, which can be distressing to children and caregivers. This is the first study to analyse nightmare frequency and content in FASD, and to assess its association with psychometric outcomes. Using online caregiver questionnaires, we assessed reports from 277 caregivers of children with ASD (n = 61), FASD (n = 112), and TD children (n = 104) using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and the Behaviour Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Within the ASD group, 40.3% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Within the FASD group, 73.62% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares, and within the TD group, 21.36% of caregivers reported their children had nightmares. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between anxiety and nightmares, maladaptive behaviour and nightmares, and executive functioning and nightmares in the TD and FASD groups, but not ASD group. This paper adds to the emerging body of work supporting the need for sleep interventions as part of clinical practice with regard to children with ASD and FASD. As a relatively niche but important area of study, this warrants much needed further research.
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Dylag KA, Bando B, Baran Z, Dumnicka P, Kowalska K, Kulaga P, Przybyszewska K, Radlinski J, Roozen S, Curfs L. Sleep problems among children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)- an explorative study. Ital J Pediatr 2021; 47:113. [PMID: 34001186 PMCID: PMC8127330 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-021-01056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a group of conditions resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Patients with FASD experience a variety of neuropsychological symptoms resulting from central nervous system impairment. Little is known about sleep disorders associated with PAE. The objective of this study was to investigate sleep problems related to FASD. METHODS Forty patients (median age 8 years (6; 11)) diagnosed with FASD and forty typically developing children (median age 10 years (8; 13)) were recruited for the 1st phase of the study. In the 1st phase, the screening of sleep problems was performed with Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) filled in by a caregiver. Those of the FASD group who scored above 41 points were qualified to the 2nd phase of the study and had an in-lab attended polysomnography (PSG) performed. The measurements consisted of electroencephalogram, electrooculograms, chin and tibial electromyogram, electrocardiogram, ventilatory monitoring, breathing effort, pulse oximetry, snoring and body position. Their results were compared to PSG laboratory reference data. RESULTS The number of participants with sleep disturbances was markedly higher in the FASD group as compared to typically developing children (55% vs. 20%). The age-adjusted odds ratio for a positive result in CSHQ was 4.31 (95% CI: 1.54-12.11; p = 0.005) for FASD patients as compared to the control group. Significant differences between the FASD as compared to the typically developing children were observed in the following subscales: sleep onset delay, night wakings, parasomnias, sleep disordered breathing, and daytime sleepiness. Children from the FASD group who underwent PSG experienced more arousals during the sleep as compared with the PSG laboratory reference data. The respiratory indices in FASD group appear higher than previously published data from typically developing children. CONCLUSION The results support the clinical observation that sleep disorders appear to be an important health problem in individuals with FASD. In particular distorted sleep architecture and apneic/hypopneic events need further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bożena Bando
- St. Louis Children Hospital, Strzelecka 2, 31-503, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Baran
- National Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Rabka Branch, Prof. Jana Rudnika 3B, 34-700, Rabka-Zdrój, Poland
| | - Paulina Dumnicka
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Medical Diagnostics, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Paulina Kulaga
- St. Louis Children Hospital, Strzelecka 2, 31-503, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Jakub Radlinski
- National Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Rabka Branch, Prof. Jana Rudnika 3B, 34-700, Rabka-Zdrój, Poland
| | - Sylvia Roozen
- Governor Kremers Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, PO Box 616 6200, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leopold Curfs
- Governor Kremers Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, PO Box 616 6200, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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An investigation of the link between prenatal alcohol exposure and sleep problems across childhood. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 218:108412. [PMID: 33262002 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between dose and frequency of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and sleep problems in children, after controlling for established risk factors for sleep problems. METHODS Data from the birth cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) was used. Mothers of 3447 children provided information on alcohol consumption during pregnancy, children's sleep problems from 2- to 9-years, and potential confounders associated with sleep problems. Children were classified into PAE groups based on distinct patterns of maternal drinking during pregnancy: abstinent, occasional, low, moderate, and heavy. The effect of PAE on the number and persistence of sleep problems across childhood (2-9 years) was examined. RESULTS After controlling for multiple covariates that impact sleep, children with heavy PAE had 1.13 more sleep problems across childhood (2-9 years) relative to children whose mothers were abstainers, in particular 0.37 more at 2- to 3-years (0.504, 95 % CI 0.053, 0.956), and 0.34 more at 6- to 7-years (0.847, 95 % CI 0.299, 1.396). Compared to children of abstainers, heavy PAE increases the probability of having persistent sleep problems from 2- to 9-years by 22.57 %. No negative associations between moderate or low PAE and sleep were observed. Parenting, family, economic, and child health factors also significantly affected child sleep. CONCLUSION Heavy PAE was associated with significantly more sleep problems across childhood and a higher probability of reporting persistent sleep problems, relative to children with no PAE. Implications for the understanding and management of sleep in young children with PAE and FASD are discussed.
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Mughal R, Hill CM, Joyce A, Dimitriou D. Sleep and Cognition in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110863. [PMID: 33207724 PMCID: PMC7697116 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances than their typically developing peers. However, little is known about the association between sleep and the cognitive phenotype in these clinical populations. Structural damage affecting cortical and subcortical connectivity occurs as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure in children with FASD, whilst it is believed an abundance of short-range connectivity explains the phenotypic manifestations of childhood ASD. These underlying neural structural and connectivity differences manifest as cognitive patterns, with some shared and some unique characteristics between FASD and ASD. This is the first study to examine sleep and its association with cognition in individuals with FASD, and to compare sleep in individuals with FASD and ASD. We assessed children aged 6–12 years with a diagnosis of FASD (n = 29), ASD (n = 21), and Typically Developing (TD) children (n = 46) using actigraphy (CamNTech Actiwatch 8), digit span tests of working memory (Weschler Intelligence Scale), tests of nonverbal mental age (MA; Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices), receptive vocabulary (British Picture Vocabulary Scale), and a choice reaction time (CRT) task. Children with FASD and ASD presented with significantly shorter total sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, and more nocturnal wakings than their TD peers. Sleep was significantly associated with scores on the cognitive tests in all three groups. Our findings support the growing body of work asserting that sleep is significant to cognitive functioning in these neurodevelopmental conditions; however, more research is needed to determine cause and effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabya Mughal
- Sleep Education and Research Laboratory, Psychology and Human Development, UCL-Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AA, UK;
- Correspondence:
| | - Catherine M. Hill
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK;
| | - Anna Joyce
- School of Psychotherapy & Psychology, Regent’s University London, London NW1 4NS, UK;
| | - Dagmara Dimitriou
- Sleep Education and Research Laboratory, Psychology and Human Development, UCL-Institute of Education, London WC1H 0AA, UK;
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