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BackgroundFew studies have investigated the partner's influence on risk factors such as alcohol consumption and depression during pregnancy. Partner substance use and lower relationship satisfaction predict higher maternal alcohol use and depressive symptoms. Because prenatal alcohol use and maternal depression affect infant outcomes, it is imperative to examine how the partner affects these maternal risk factors. The current study examined the effect of a latent construct of partner influence on maternal alcohol use and depressive symptoms, and the effects on infant development of these maternal factors.MethodsParticipants were 246 pregnant women from 2 sites in Western Ukraine from whom longitudinal data were collected as part of a multisite study. In the first trimester, mothers reported on relationship satisfaction, partner substance use, and socioeconomic status (SES). In the third trimester, they reported on alcohol use and depressive symptoms. Infants were assessed using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (average age = 6.93 months). A latent construct titled partner influence was formed using partner substance use and measures of relationship satisfaction, including the frequency of quarreling, happiness in the relationship, and the ease of talking with the partner. Using structural equation modeling, a model was specified in which partner influence and SES predicted maternal alcohol use and depressive symptoms, which in turn predicted infant neurodevelopmental outcomes.ResultsHigher partner influence significantly predicted lower prenatal alcohol use and lower depressive symptoms, controlling for the effect of SES. Higher maternal prenatal alcohol use significantly predicted lower infant mental and psychomotor development. Maternal depressive symptoms did not predict infant development over and above the effect of alcohol use.ConclusionsPartner influence is an important contributor to prenatal alcohol use and maternal depressive symptoms, over and above the effect of SES. The significant paths from prenatal alcohol exposure to infant neurodevelopmental outcomes underscore the importance of partner influence during pregnancy.

Introduction: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are highly prevalent developmental disabilities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. In addition to varied strengths and unique talents, people with FASD experience significant challenges, including in adaptive functioning. Adaptive functioning refers to skills related to everyday life such as communication, practical skills, and social skills. For the current review, we aimed to understand how adaptive functioning in FASD compares to that of alcohol nonexposed individuals and those with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, we investigated how this relationship may change based on IQ, executive functioning, and age., Method: The current review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they measured adaptive functioning and included an FASD group and at least one eligible comparison group. Articles available in May 2021 in PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations were searched. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's regression and three-level random effects models were computed for all domains of adaptive functioning. Possible moderation by IQ, executive functioning, and age were investigated when heterogeneity analyses were significant. A post hoc moderation analysis of recruitment method was also completed., Results: Thirty studies were included. Individuals with FASD had significantly lower adaptive functioning than other groups, with effect sizes ranging from 1.04 to 1.35 compared to alcohol nonexposed groups and from 0.30 to 0.43 compared to ADHD groups. No significant moderating effects were found for IQ or age; executive functioning significantly moderated communication skills in FASD compared to the alcohol nonexposed group. Recruitment method significantly affected this relationship, with larger effect sizes on average found for clinically identified samples than at-risk or population samples., Conclusions: Individuals with FASD have impairments in adaptive functioning relative to alcohol nonexposed and ADHD groups, regardless of IQ, executive functioning, or age. Limitations of the review include small sample sizes in some comparisons and a limited age range., (© 2021 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.)