Background
There is substantial evidence of the risk of poor child outcomes associated with heavy maternal alcohol use, resulting from both the biological impact of alcohol during pregnancy as well as the associated social or environmental risk factors.
What we did
Mothers diagnosed with an alcohol-related condition from hospital morbidity, mental health or drug and alcohol services data were identified and matched with mothers without a diagnosis. Poor child outcomes including intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, small for gestational age and preterm birth, as well as poor school attendance, contact with the justice system and child protection, were identified from linked administrative datasets.
What we found
Children of mothers with an alcohol-related diagnosis were about 1.7 times more likely to have an intellectual disability, both for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers. They were also twice as likely to be born small for gestational age and much more likely to be involved with child protection.
What it means
The study identified the magnitude and breadth of the negative impact of maternal alcohol-use disorders on children. Indigenous children were more likely than non- Indigenous children to experience negative outcomes, particularly social outcomes, and this was more pronounced in those whose mother had an alcohol-related diagnosis. Prevention, early identification, and treatment of alcohol-related problems in women of childbearing age or who are pregnant is required to prevent fetal and child harm.