The voice of non-pregnant women on alcohol consumption during pregnancy: a focus group study among women in Sweden.

Janna Skagerström,Elisabet Häggström-Nordin,Siw Alehagen

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2519-2

Abstract

BackgroundConsensus is that fetal exposure to alcohol is harmful. Abstinence while trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy is recommended. Despite this, there are many women who consume alcohol around conception and until pregnancy recognition. The aim of this study was to explore the voice of non-pregnant women concerning alcohol consumption and its relation to pregnancy.MethodsData were collected through seven focus groups interviews with 34 women of fertile age, who were neither pregnant nor mothers. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken, recorded and transcribed verbatim and then analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThree main themes were identified in the analysis: an issue that cannot be ignored; awareness and uncertainty concerning alcohol and pregnancy; and transition to parenthood. Alcohol was an integral part of the women’s lives. A societal expectation to drink alcohol was prevalent and the women used different strategies to handle this expectation. Most women agreed not to drink alcohol during pregnancy although their knowledge on the specific consequences was scanty and they expressed a need for more information. Most of the participants found drinking alcohol during pregnancy to be irresponsible and saw pregnancy as a start of a new way of life.ConclusionsSocial expectations concerning women’s alcohol use change with pregnancy when women are suddenly expected to abstain. Although most study participants shared an opinion for zero tolerance during pregnancy, their knowledge regarding consequences of drinking during pregnancy were sparse. In order for prospective mothers to make informed choices, there is a need for public health initiatives providing information on the relationship between alcohol consumption and reproduction.

Highlights

Consensus is that fetal exposure to alcohol is harmful
Strategies directed at subgroups with increased risk for binge drinking in early pregnancy could be appropriate in other settings such as youth clinics, primary care or contraceptive counselling
Societal expectations on alcohol consumption among women change drastically during pregnancy, from an expectation to drink to an expectation to abstain

Summary

Introduction

Consensus is that fetal exposure to alcohol is harmful. Abstinence while trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy is recommended. There are many women who consume alcohol around conception and until pregnancy recognition. The first period of pregnancy is a critical period for Abstinence while trying to conceive has been recommended by several experts [4, 5] and to refrain or decrease alcohol intake during this critical period is the official policy in many European countries [6]. Sixtyeight percent of pregnant women in Sweden did not decrease their alcohol consumption until pregnancy recognition [9]. Reasons stated for an intention to keep drinking alcohol until pregnancy recognition included that consuming small amounts of alcohol was harmless and wanting to “keep having fun” [10]. Social norms regarding alcohol consumption might even influence pregnant women to drink during social occasions to avoid revealing that they are pregnant [11]

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