Link found between teenage binge drinking and brain function of future children

Link found between teenage binge drinking and brain function of future children


When talking to your teenager about the downsides of drinking alcohol, there is one more warning you can add to the list: excessive drinking may alter the brain function of their future children. A study by researchers at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine suggests that repeated episodes of binge drinking can put the future offspring of teenagers at risk for depression, anxiety and metabolic disorders.

Binge drinking is defined as imbibing enough to raise your blood-alcohol level to .08 percent, the legal limit for impaired driving, within two hours. This usually equals about four drinks within that time frame, depending on factors such as gender and body mass.

The study, based on a rat model, found that binge drinking changed the on-off switches of multiple genes in the brains of offspring. The study’s author explains that when certain genes are turned on, cells create proteins that can control physical and behavioral traits.

The researchers exposed male and female rats to alcohol that mimicked six binge-drinking episodes. After sobering up, the rats mated, and the female rats remained sober throughout their pregnancy. These rats were compared with rats in a control group with no alcohol involved. Results showed the offspring of the alcohol-exposed rats had 244 gene changes in the hypothalamus, the region of the brain involved in reproduction, stress response and food intake.

Although this study’s results may not translate directly to humans, the researchers say it is still in a teen’s best interest to avoid binge drinking — for the sake of themselves, and others.

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