Mothers who drink 'could increase children's alcohol addiction risk'

Categories

Addiction Treatment
Alcohol
Drugs
Gambling
In the papers
On TV

News Archive

Home » News » Alcohol » Mothers who drink 'could increase children's alcohol addiction risk'

by Change | 15 Jan 2009

Bookmark

E-mail

Teenagers whose mothers drank during their pregnancy are more likely to be attracted to the smell of alcohol, new research shows.

Children whose mothers drank during pregnancy have a higher risk of developing alcohol addiction as they are more likely to be drawn to the smell of the substance during adolescence.

Research published in Behavioural and Brain Functions show rats find the smell of alcohol on other creature's breath more attractive if their parent had been drinking during the gestation period.

Steven Youngentob, a professor from the State University of New York's Upstate Medical University and lead researcher, claims there is a strong relationship between these behaviours which could encourage alcohol addiction.

The research adds: "Such learning may be a fundamental feature of all mammalian species because it is important [from a survival standpoint] for the pre-weanling animal to accept and be attracted to the food sources consumed by the mother."

Mr Yongentob predicts exposure to alcohol during pregnancy could lead to worse consequences for adolescents already deemed 'at risk'.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health also found advertising could contribute to people's risk of developing alcohol addiction.

The research suggested those who are already in danger of developing a drink problem could be more likely to continue this if there are prominent adverts around them.

Bookmark this: