Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Child Externalizing Behavior, and Maternal Stress

Objective. This study examined linkages between prenatal exposure to alcohol, current maternal alcohol use, child externalizing behavior, and maternal stress in a sample of 4- to 6-year-old children and their mothers. Design. Questionnaires, interviews, and behavioral observations were used to assess study variables in 42 mother - child dyads. Results. Current maternal alcohol use did not relate to children's behavior problems. However, children with higher levels of prenatal exposure to alcohol exhibited more externalizing behavior. In turn, higher levels of child externalizing behavior were associated with increased maternal stress. An alternative model, in which maternal stress was assumed to relate to less supportive mother - child interactions and higher levels of current maternal alcohol consumption, which in turn were expected to relate to higher rates of child externalizing behavior, did not fit the data. Conclusions. The impact of prenatal alcohol exposure likely extends to caregivers. Interventions must focus not only on affected individuals but also on their families, who may experience significant stress in trying to care for such individuals.