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Study identifier: NCT04395196 Synced from ClinicalTrials.gov · July 28, 2026
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RCT of Prenatal Choline Supplementation During Pregnancy to Mitigate Adverse Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Condition: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders · Fetal Alcohol Syndrome  ·  Sponsor: Wayne State University

PhasePhase 2
Planned participants288
Who can joinAll sexes, 18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteersYes

About this study

Although the adverse effects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are well known, many women continue to drink heavily during pregnancy, putting their infants at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Animal studies have shown that choline supplementation can mitigate effects of PAE on growth and development. Choline, an essential nutrient, serves as a methyl-group donor for DNA methylation and is a constituent of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and a precursor to major components of cell membranes. In an R21 feasibility trial, 70 heavy drinkers were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 2g of choline or a placebo from initiation of antenatal care to delivery in Cape Town, South Africa, where the incidence of heavy drinking during pregnancy and fetal alcohol syndrome are among the highest in the world. When compared with infants in the placebo arm, infants in the choline-treated arm were more likely to meet criterion for eyeblink conditioning, demonstrated markedly better recognition memory on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, which is known to have predictive validity for school-age IQ, and had better postnatal gains in weight and head circumference. Key features of this study included the higher choline dose (4.4 times adequate intake (AI), compared to 1.7-2.5 in previous human studies) and initiation of treatment early in pregnancy. We are now conducting a fully-powered, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled choline supplementation tria…

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Talk to the study team

R. Colin Carter, MD, MMSc  ·  +16176949902  ·  rcc2142@cumc.columbia.edu

Sandra W Jacobson, PhD  ·  +13139935454  ·  sandra.jacobson@wayne.edu

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Locations (1)

University of Cape Town Faculty of Health SciencesCape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaRecruiting

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Source record: clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04395196