Abstract
In addition to the adverse effects of alcohol on the fetus, alcohol use can leads to other adverse effects on the health of women including reproductive health conditions that are not addressed in this brief. Though the approaches mentioned here are primarily aimed at reduction of prenatal alcohol-related pregnancies, any reduction in hazardous alcohol consumption among women will add to improvements in the general health of women. Multiple federal and non-fedral health agencies and organizations recommend that pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should abstain from alcohol use. Although assessment and interventions are valuable tools to recognize and address alcohol use and secondary pregnancy outcomes, they are underutilized in primary care settings. To reduce the burden of alcohol exposed pregnancies and alcohol’s impact on the health of families, it is critical for physicians and health care providers to consistently screen childbearing-aged women for alcohol use with validated screening tools which can be embedded in the patient screening protocol. Tools are now available for pediatricians and child health care providers to enhance early recognition of FASD and reduce secondary conditions that often accompany physical maturation [4]. Brief clinician-delivered behavioral interventions to women and their partners, counseling regarding effective contraceptive options when not planning a pregnancy, and improving access to such services for those who are unable reduce their alcohol intake can help more women reduce their risk for an alcohol exposed pregnancy [11]. Referral to needed social services should complement health services in order to achieve maximum benefits of primary care-based attempts to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Given the levels of alcohol use among childbearing aged women, primary care-based individual level assessment and intervention continues to remain a critical prevention strategy for reducing alcohol-exposed pregnancies.
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