Epigenetics is a growing and promising scientific field. As our understanding of the mechanisms and relevance of epigenetic marks grows, we can better use these tools to answer important questions about how early teratogen exposure impacts fetal and neonatal development and contributes to long-term health and behavioral outcomes. It is important to answer these questions methodically and with rigor, with careful interpretation of the data in the context of the cell, the organism, and the environment. Prenatal stress and alcohol exposure, while two of the most common teratogens, are usually studied separately. Stress, however, is the primary factor as to why women drink during pregnancy, and many children who are born to alcoholic mothers continue to experience stress after they are born. While this review has highlighted some of the common ways in which stress or alcohol impact the epigenome, little is understood of the epigenome’s response to both stress and alcohol exposure and how that translates to altered CNS function and behavior. Understanding how developmental alcohol and stress exposure together damage the brain and produce cognitive and behavioral impairments through epigenetic programming will allow for the development of better-targeted interventions for affected individuals.
