Prenatal Infection Linked to Increased Adult Alcohol Misuse Risk

WSU study finds antioxidant treatment may help reduce effects of early immune stress on later alcohol use disorder.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A new Washington State University study has found that exposure to infection and other immune stress in the womb increases the likelihood of alcohol misuse in adulthood. However, the researchers also discovered that prenatal treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may help suppress this increased risk. The findings provide insight into how early biological stress shapes addictive behaviors and identify a potential approach for lowering the risk of alcohol use disorder, which has massive social and financial costs.

Why it matters

Alcohol use disorder affects more people than all other drugs combined, yet it doesn't receive as much attention as other substance abuse issues because alcohol is legal. This research helps explain the mechanisms by which prenatal factors can increase the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life, which is crucial for developing better interventions to address this significant public health problem.

The details

The study, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, examined how maternal immune activation - the body's response to infection, stress or inflammation - affects the desire to drink alcohol later in life. Pregnant rats were exposed to a substance that mimics a virus, and some received the antioxidant NAC before and after immune activation, while controls received a placebo. Offspring exposed to prenatal immune stress showed increased motivation to self-administer alcohol in adulthood, but this effect was suppressed in those who received the antioxidant treatment. The findings suggest that oxidative stress may be a key factor in how prenatal infection increases addiction risk, and that NAC could potentially be used to lower that risk in humans.

  • The study was published on February 20, 2026.

The players

Angela M. Henricks

An assistant professor in the WSU Department of Psychology and the corresponding author of the study.

Skylar E. Nicholson

A PhD student and the lead author on the paper.

Kelly A. Hewitt

A PhD student and co-author on the paper.

Cara S. Brauen

An undergraduate research assistant who worked on the project.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

An antioxidant that was used in the study to potentially block the effects of prenatal immune stress on later alcohol misuse.

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What they’re saying

“People don't talk about alcohol use disorder as much as other drugs because alcohol is legal. But alcohol use disorder affects more people than all the other drugs. There really is the need to better understand the mechanisms by which this is happening so we can develop better interventions to reduce some of these societal costs.”

— Angela M. Henricks, Assistant Professor, WSU Department of Psychology (Mirage News)

“What we don't understand is how that changes the brain to make someone more susceptible to mental illness or substance abuse disorder. We know it's a risk factor, but we don't know how it works very well.”

— Angela M. Henricks, Assistant Professor, WSU Department of Psychology (Mirage News)

“This suggests that oxidative stress is significantly contributing to why prenatal infection might be a risk factor.”

— Angela M. Henricks, Assistant Professor, WSU Department of Psychology (Mirage News)

What’s next

Henricks is doing further research to explore the effects of prenatal immune stress, including a similar study of cannabis use. She's also working to develop a better picture of how oxidative stress affects the brain and impacts synaptic plasticity.

The takeaway

This study provides important insights into how early biological stressors like prenatal infection can increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. The finding that antioxidant treatment may help mitigate these effects offers a promising avenue for future research and potential interventions to address this significant public health issue.