Abstract
BackgroundAlcohol exposure in pregnancy is a common and modifiable risk factor for poor pregnancy and child outcomes. Alcohol exposure in pregnancy can cause a range of physical and neurodevelopmental problems in the child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). In order to improve prevention strategies, we sought to describe the knowledge and attitudes of women of childbearing age regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy and its effects on the fetus.MethodsWe conducted a national cross-sectional survey via computer assisted telephone interview of 1103 Australian women aged 18 to 45 years. Participants were randomly selected from the Electronic White Pages. Pregnant women were not eligible to participate. Quotas were set for age groups and a minimum of 100 participants per state to ensure a national sample reflecting the population. The questionnaire was based on a Health Canada survey with additional questions constructed by the investigators. Descriptive statistics were calculated and logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations with participants' knowledge and attitudes.ResultsOf women surveyed, 61.5% had heard about effects of alcohol on the fetus and 55.3% had heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Although 92.7% agreed alcohol can affect the unborn child, 16.2% did not agree that the disabilities could be lifelong. Most women agreed that pregnant women should not drink alcohol (80.2%) and 79.2% reported having negative feelings towards pregnant women drinking alcohol. Women with higher education levels were more likely to know the effects of alcohol consumption in pregnancy (adjusted OR 5.62; 95% CI 3.20 to 9.87) but education level and knowledge were not associated with attitude.ConclusionsThere was a disjunction between knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol consumption in pregnancy. These findings will assist in developing effective health promotion campaigns to reduce fetal alcohol exposure and subsequent fetal damage.
Highlights
Alcohol exposure in pregnancy is a common and modifiable risk factor for poor pregnancy and child outcomes
Knowledge about alcohol and pregnancy When asked ‘Have you ever heard of any effects on pregnancy or the unborn child which are caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy, 61.5% of respondents said ‘yes’ (Table 2)
36.7% of respondents nominated neurobehavioural effects; one third (33.5%) nominated one or more of the diagnoses resulting from alcohol exposure in pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Related Birth Defects and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders); and 33.9% nominated growth problems. (Data not shown)
Summary
Alcohol exposure in pregnancy is a common and modifiable risk factor for poor pregnancy and child outcomes. Alcohol exposure in pregnancy can cause a range of physical and neurodevelopmental problems in the child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Alcohol exposure is one of the few modifiable risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was formally described only thirty-five years ago[1] but the effects of alcohol consumption in pregnancy on the unborn child have been recognised for hundreds of years[2]. Alcohol consumption is common in many cultures and consumption in young women has increased over the past thirty years, with an increasingly frequent pattern of risky drinking and increased risk of unintentional alcohol consumption during pregnancy[7,8,9]. There is potentially a high rate of fetal exposure to alcohol
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
