Outcome of children to alcoholic mothers related to social conditions during upbringing

The 99 living children of 30 women with chronic alcoholism were retrospectively investigated at age 2-29yrs.Sufficient data concern ing size at birth,symptoms of brain damage(defined),mental capacity and psycho-social symptoms(defined)were obtained in 90 children.The children were divided into 4 groups: (A)care in one fosterhome or adoption, (B) several changes of environment before steady foster home care,(C) several changes before care by the mother,(D) always care by the mother.Mean birth weight for gestational age was 1 SD below the mean of the reference population.Birth weight for gest. age was signif. lower in groups A+B,compared to C+D.Symptoms of brain damage(48/90) and slight to moderate mental retardation(43/90) were equally distributed in groups A-D.Psycho-social symptoms were not signif.correlated to low IQ or brain damage symptoms.Psychosocial problems were signif. less frequent in group A(7/27)than in C(20/23) or D(9/12).A signif.difference was also found between B(10/28)and C.Group A had a signif.less psycho-social symptoms than B+C,but no difference was found between D and B+C.

In conclusion:Foster care could not prevent mental retardation or symptoms of brain damage to occur.Children brouhgt up their biological parents probably had a slighter degree of intrauterine damage (higher birth weights),but significantly more psycho-social symptoms than children brought up in one foster home.