Brain and Cognitive Development in Passed Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: How Prenatal Drinking Shapes Youth
Official title: Brain and Cognitive Development in the PASS Cohort: The Impact of PrenatalAlcohol Exposure
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11408617 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study following children born to mothers who drank during pregnancy to understand how prenatal alcohol exposure affects their brain and thinking abilities as they grow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $366,340 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA025653-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11408617 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents aged approximately 8 to 17 years whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy or did not, across a broad exposure range.
✕Less likely to help
Children without any exposure or those unlikely to participate in MRI or follow-up visits may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project continues a long-term study of South African children whose mothers drank during pregnancy, using brain scans, cognitive tests, and facial measurements. Researchers will recruit additional participants to include a wider range of exposure and ages, then compare them to peers with no exposure. The study blends cross-sectional and longitudinal elements to track brain development, cognition, and facial morphology from late childhood into adolescence. Participation would involve neuroimaging visits, cognitive assessments, and possibly facial measurements over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Insights could help families understand risks of prenatal alcohol exposure and guide early interventions to support affected children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has demonstrated detectable brain and cognitive differences related to prenatal alcohol exposure in youth, supporting this line of inquiry.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sowell, Elizabeth R — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Sowell, Elizabeth R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.