Long-Term Consequences of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in Adoptees from Russia: From Childhood into Adolescence
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Adding to the discussion on the relative weight of distal and proximal influences on the development of adopted persons, this article analyzes the long-term impact of prenatal alcohol exposure. The data are part of the LAIS.US longitudinal project studying over time 40 children adopted in Russia by Spanish families in comparison with a community sample. Six of the adoptees had alcohol exposure documented in parental reports. Domains studied include cognition, language, hyperactivity, social skills, and psychosocial adjustment. Children were studied at the time of adoption, in childhood and in adolescence. Over time, the adoptive group presented, on average, worse scores than the community group, while the length of institutionalization time ceased to be significant in the long run. In terms of prenatal alcohol exposure, the results indicate a significant worsening of scores in most domains from childhood into adolescence. This is consistent with preceding research on the long-term impact of prenatal alcohol exposure and contradicts the hypothesis of diminished distal influences over time when these include biological damage as part of early adversity.
Source: Adoption Quarterly
Authors: Jesús Palacios, Pablo Carrera, Maite Román
Institutions: Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad Isabel I
Language: English
Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4411523409