LifeCourse A Melbourne Children's Research Initiative

Asking Questions about Alcohol in Pregnancy Study (AQUA)

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.

A subgroup of the cohort were invited for 3D craniofacial photography and developmental assessments at 12 months, and two years of age, respectively. Biosamples were collected for the measurement of genetic polymorphisms, and epigenetic studies.

AQUA at 6 is a follow-up of the AQUA participants as they enter their primary school years.

Year	2011-2012	2011-2012	2011-2012	2011-2012	2013-2014	2014-2015	2018-Ongoing
Wave	1	2	3	4a	4	5	AQUA@6
Age	19 weeks gestation	26 weeks gestation	36 weeks gestation	Birth	12 months	2 years	6-7 years
RELEVANT LIFECOURSE DOMAINS	Anthropometrics		Anthropometrics				Anthropometrics
	Bioanalyses and omics			Bioanalyses and omics			Bioanalyses and omics
	Biosamples			Biosamples			Biosamples
	Community environment				Community environment
	Demographics			Demographics
	Education and childcare				Education and childcare
	Family environment				Family environment
	Health services		Health services
					Imaging		Imaging
	Medications and supplements				Medications and supplements
	Mental health and behaviour problems				Mental health and behaviour problems
					Neurocognitive development
		Nutrition			Nutrition
	Other health information
							Peer relationships
	Physical activity				Physical activity		Physical activity
	Pregnancy and birth
	Psychosocial wellbeing				Psychosocial wellbeing
					Romantic relationships
						Speech and language
	Substance use				Substance use
							Temperament and personality

Study Summary
Study name	Asking Questions about Alcohol in Pregnancy Study
Study abbreviation	AQUA
Current principal investigator/s	Jane Halliday Peter Anderson
Current project manager	Evelyne Muggli
Primary Institution/s	Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - MCRI The Royal Children’s Hospital - RCH
Collaborating Institution/s	National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University La Trobe University The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Deakin University Royal Women’s Hospital
Major funding source/s	National Health and Medical Research Council - NHMRC VicHealth McCusker Charitable Foundation The Jack Brockhoff Foundation Financial Markets Foundation for Children
Study website	https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/asking-questions-about-alcohol-pregnancy-aqua/ https://www.mcri.edu.au/aquastudy/aqua-6
Key reference for study	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
Study focus	AQUA has collected detailed information about alcohol consumption during pregnancy from nearly 1,600 pregnant women to assess the impact of different amounts of alcohol on the unborn child. The study aims to explore whether alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and other maternal factors are associated with problems in the health and development of young children.
Sampling frame	Participants were recruited through antenatal clinics in 2011-12, from the Mercy Hospital for Women, Royal Women's Hospital, Monash Medical Centre, Dandenong Hospital, Casey Hospital or Box Hill Hospital. Participants were less than 19 weeks pregnant with a single baby at the time of enrolment.
Primary study type	Longitudinal cohort
Year commenced	2011
Is this study ongoing?	Yes - the study is ongoing
Ongoing recruitment?	Yes
Sample size (N)	AQUA: 2146; AQUA at 6: ~400 participants as of August 2019
Survey data available?	Yes
Imaging data available?	Yes
Linkage to administrative dataset/s?	Yes, linkage to (at least one) administrative dataset completed
Biosamples available?	Yes
Are data available to others outside study team, with appropriate safeguards and structures in line with the cohort’s ethics and governance processes?	Yes
Are there any costs associated with data/sample access for approved requests?	There are usually no costs associated with access
Broadest type of participant consent available	Extended consent (can be used for future ethically approved research related to this project)

Wave	Year	Age	Sample size (N)
1	2011-2012	19 weeks gestation	N(Total)=2146
2	2011-2012	26 weeks gestation	N(Total)=1715
3	2011-2012	36 weeks gestation	N(Total)=1571
4a	2011-2012	Birth	N(Total)=1401
4	2013-2014	12 months	N(Total)=1296
5	2014-2015	2 years	N(Total)=1038
AQUA@6	2018-Ongoing	6-7 years	IN PROGRESS

Study Contacts
Principal investigator/s	Jane Halliday Peter Anderson
Project manager	Evelyne Muggli
Study Contact	Ph: +61 3 8341 6260 Email: aquastudy@mcri.edu.au