Although some animal studies have suggested a greater vulnerability to prenatal alcohol exposure amongst female offspring [33–35], it remains uncertain whether the parent SDQ findings reflect informant-related factors, whereby the parent (usually mother) has provided both the exposure and outcome information. However, the finding of higher vulnerability amongst girls is consistent with our previous follow-up of this cohort up until age 7 years and the association remained robust even after adjusting for postnatal environmental risk factors as well as first trimester exposure [18].
