Alcohol and Tobacco use While Breastfeeding and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Louisa Gibson; Melanie Porter

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05027-3

Alcohol and Tobacco use While Breastfeeding and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Mar;52(3):1223-1234. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05027-3. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Authors

Louisa Gibson¹, Melanie Porter²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. louisa.gibson@hdr.mq.edu.au.
² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.

Abstract

Research has linked prenatal alcohol and tobacco use with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and variably with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Lactational use has been scantly considered. This study examined whether it may alter ADHD or ASD risk. Participants were 5107 infants recruited in 2004 and assessed longitudinally for the Growing Up in Australia Study. Logistic regression did not find any associations between maternal alcohol and tobacco use while breastfeeding and ADHD or ASD diagnosis at ages 6-7 or 10-11 years. Alcohol and tobacco use during lactation may not increase ADHD or ASD risk. Abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, however, may still be the safest option. Analyses were limited by lack of alcohol timing and retrospective variables that future research should address.

Keywords: Alcohol; Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Autism spectrum disorder; Breastfeeding; Tobacco.

MeSH terms

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / epidemiology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / etiology
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / epidemiology
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / etiology
Breast Feeding
Child
Female
Humans
Infant
Pregnancy
Retrospective Studies
Tobacco Use