AQUA: Asking Questions about Alcohol in Pregnancy Study
This study seeks to produce timely, new information on the complex relationship between low to moderate alcohol drinking patterns in pregnant women and their infant’s health and development. Exposure data was collected through questionnaires administered during each trimester of pregnancy. Data on other factors that could influence the effects of alcohol such as diet, medication and body size was also collected at each follow-up. Mothers then completed a questionnaire about the health and development of their child at one and two years of age.
A subgroup of the cohort was invited for 3D craniofacial photography of their child within four weeks of their first birthday. The same sub-group was also invited to a developmental assessment at two years of age. Biosample collection occurred at two time points: At recruitment all participating women were offered a cheek brush swab for collection of their buccal cells for the measurement of genetic polymorphisms. Around the time of birth, infant buccal swabs, placental tissue and cord blood were also obtained for epigenetic studies.
AQUA at 6: this follow-up of the 6-7 year-old children is underway in 2018-2020, including neurodevelopmental assessment, child buccal swabs (epigenetics), parent-report questionnaire, 3D craniofacial imaging and a brain MRI sub-study.
| Year | 2011-2012 | 2011-2012 | 2011-2012 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | W1 | W2 | W3 | (W4a) | W4 | W5 |
| Age | 19 weeks gest | 26 weeks gest | 36 weeks gest | birth | 12 months | 2 years |
| # | 2146 | 1715 | 1571 | 1401 | 1296 | 1038 |
| Anthropometrics | Anthropometrics | |||||
| Behavioural problems | ||||||
| Birth | ||||||
| Craniofacial morphometrics | ||||||
| Demographics | Demographics | |||||
| Education and childcare | ||||||
| General health | ||||||
| Hearing | Hearing | |||||
| Medications and supplements | Medications and supplements | |||||
| Mental health | Mental health | |||||
| Neurocognitive development | ||||||
| Nutrition | Nutrition | |||||
| Parenting | ||||||
| Physical activity | Physical activity | |||||
| Relationships | Relationships | |||||
| Reproductive health | Reproductive health | |||||
| Resilience and wellbeing | Resilience and wellbeing | |||||
| Speech, language and literacy | Speech, language and literacy | |||||
| Substance use | Substance use | |||||
| Bioanalyses and omics | Bioanalyses and omics | |||||
| Biosamples | Biosamples | |||||
| Study Summary | |
|---|---|
| Study name | Asking QUestions about Alcohol in pregnancy |
| Study abbreviation | AQUA |
| Current principal investigator/s | Prof Jane Halliday NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Public Health Genetics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Melbourne Dr Colleen O’Leary NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth Prof Della Forster Research Fellow, Mother and Child Health Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne A/Prof Susan Donath Research Fellow, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit, MCRI A/Prof Peter Anderson NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Vic. Infant Brain Studies (VIBeS), MCRI, Melbourne Dr Sharon Lewis Senior Research Officer, Public Health Genetics, MCRI, Melbourne Prof Elizabeth Elliott Consultant Paediatrician, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Dr Cate Nagle Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing & Behaviour, Deakin Univ., Geelong Dr Jeffrey Craig Group Leader, Developmental Epigenetics, MCRI, Melbourne Evelyne Muggli Senior Research Officer, Public Health Genetics, MCRI, Melbourne |
| Current project manager | Evelyne Muggli |
| Primary Institution | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute |
| Collaborating Institution/s | National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth La Trobe University, Melbourne The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Deakin University, Geelong |
| Project Partner Maternity Hospitals | Mercy Hospital for Women Royal Women’s Hospital Monash Medical Centre Casey Hospital Dandenong Hospital Box Hill Hospital |
| Major funding sources | NHMRC VicHealth McCusker Charitable Foundation Brockhoff Foundation Financial Markets for Children |
| Study website | https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/asking-questions-about-alcohol-pregnancy-aqua/ |
| Key reference for study (published study protocol) | Muggli, E., O’Leary, C., Forster, D., Anderson, P., Lewis, S., Nagle, C., Craig, J.M., Donath, S., Elliott, E. and Halliday, J. (2014). Study protocol: Asking QUestions about Alcohol in pregnancy (AQUA): a longitudinal cohort study of fetal effects of low to moderate alcohol exposure. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 14: 302. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-302 |
| Are data available to others outside study team? | Not at present |
| Study focus (e.g. social development) | Alcohol consumption during pregnancy and health and development of index child at birth and 12-24 months of age. |
| Sampling frame | Women attending one of seven antenatal clinics in 2011-12 who are < 19 weeks pregnant with single baby. |
| Study type (e.g. randomised control trial, cohort, case-control) | Cohort |
| Year commenced | 2011 |
| Ongoing recruitment? | No |
| Commencement sample (N) | 2146 |
| Intergenerational (e.g. offspring)? | No |
| Imaging (e.g. fMRI, ultrasound, retinal photograph)? | 3D photo of face at 12 months |
| Linkage (e.g. BioGrid, VPDC, NAPLAN, Medicare)? | Electronic hospital medical records (through maternal UR numbers) |
| Biosamples (e.g. buccal, blood, hair)? | Optional maternal and infant cheek swab, blood, placenta |
| Ethics approvals or requirements (e.g. specific, extended, unspecified, other)? | This project only (Specific consent) |
| Wave | Year | Age (mean, range) | Eligible sample (not deceased, not withdrawn) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011-2012 | < 19 weeks gestation | 2146 |
| 2 | 2011-2012 | 26 weeks gestation | 1715 |
| 3 | 2011-2012 | 36 weeks gestation | 1571 |
| 4 | 2013-2014 | 12 months old (includes birth) | 1566 eligible (not withdrawn), 1296 completed survey 518 completed 3D anthropometric mask sub-study |
| 5 | 2014-2015 | 2 years | 1519 eligible (not withdrawn), 1038 completed survey 564 completed developmental assessment sub-study |
| Study Summary | |
|---|---|
| Study name | AQUA at 6 |
| Study abbreviation | AQUA |
| Current principal investigator/s | Prof Peter Anderson, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) & Monash University, Melbourne Prof Jane Halliday, MCRI Prof Elizabeth Elliott, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Prof Tony Penington, MCRI & The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) A/Prof Deanne Thompson, MCRI Evi Muggli, MCRI A/Prof Alicia Spittle, MCRI Prof Della Forster, Royal Women’s’ Hospital & La Trobe University, Melbourne Dr Sharon Lewis, MCRI Stephen Hearps, MCRI Prof Sharon Goldfeld (Associate), MCRI & RCH Dr Peter Claes (Associate), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium A/Prof Jeff Craig (Associate), Deakin University & MCRI, Melbourne |
| Current project manager | Evelyne Muggli |
| Primary Institution | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute |
| Collaborating Institution/s | The Royal Children’s Hospital The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne La Trobe University, Melbourne Deakin University, Melbourne Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium |
| Major funding sources | NHMRC |
| Study website | https://www.mcri.edu.au/aquastudy/aqua-6 |
| Key reference for study (published study protocol) | Muggli, E., O’Leary, C., Forster, D., Anderson, P., Lewis, S., Nagle, C., Craig, J.M., Donath, S., Elliott, E. and Halliday, J. (2014). Study protocol: Asking QUestions about Alcohol in pregnancy (AQUA): a longitudinal cohort study of fetal effects of low to moderate alcohol exposure. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 14: 302. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-302 |
| Are data available to others outside study team? | No formal mechanism for this has been set up as yet, but we have contributed data/results from the original AQUA study to a meta-analysis on the effects of smoking on placental global methylation and also to researchers at the RWH for a paper on the diet of pregnant women. |
| Study focus (e.g. social development) | Neurodevelopment after prenatal alcohol exposure |
| Sampling frame | Original AQUA study mothers |
| Study type (e.g. randomised control trial, cohort, case-control) | Longitudinal cohort study |
| Year commenced | 2018 |
| Ongoing recruitment? | Yes |
| Current sample (N) | ~400 families, as of August 2019 |
| Annual recruitment rate | 300 |
| Intergenerational (e.g. offspring)? | Yes |
| Imaging (e.g. fMRI, ultrasound, retinal photograph)? | Yes, craniofacial 3D imaging and brain MRI |
| Clinical assessments (e.g. oral food challenge, lung function tests, diagnostic assessments) | Children have a full neuropsychological assessment. For administered tests, please see the study protocol. |
| Linkage (e.g. BioGrid, VPDC, NAPLAN, Medicare)? | AEDC (Planned) |
| Biosamples (e.g. buccal, blood, hair)? | Buccal |
| Ethics approvals or requirements (e.g. specific, extended, unspecified, other)? | This project only (specific consent) Future research related to this project (extended consent) |
Principal Investigators
Prof Peter Anderson
Prof Jane Halliday
Project Manager
Evelyne Muggli
Email: evi.muggli@mcri.edu.au
Study Contact
Ph: +61 3 8341 6260
Email: aquastudy@mcri.edu.au
Postal Address
AQUA study
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
PO Box 907
Parkville VIC 3052