Prenatal alcohol effects on children's brain and thinking
Brain and Cognitive Development in the PASS Cohort: The Impact of PrenatalAlcohol Exposure
This work looks at how drinking during pregnancy is linked to differences in brain structure, facial features, and thinking skills in children and teens from the PASS cohort.
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 ID | NIH-11123312 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will bring back about half of the children studied earlier and recruit about 250 more PASS participants so the group spans a wide range of prenatal alcohol exposure. Your child would have MRI brain scans, short thinking and behavior tests, and facial measurements to capture physical and cognitive changes. The research team compares children whose mothers reported different levels of drinking during pregnancy with those who had no exposure. Some children will be followed over time to see how brain and thinking skills change through adolescence.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and teens about 8–17 years old from the PASS cohort whose mothers reported drinking during pregnancy, and a smaller group without exposure, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, children outside the 8–17 age range, or those not part of the PASS cohort (or whose mothers did not report pregnancy drinking) would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify brain and cognitive markers tied to prenatal alcohol exposure to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and targeted support for affected children.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work, including the team's earlier imaging of roughly 400 PASS children, has found links between prenatal alcohol exposure and brain/cognitive differences, but this renewal expands to higher-exposure cases and longer adolescent follow-up.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- 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
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 below.