Inexpensive Education May Lower Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy

A simple information sheet may help prevent harms caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. A study just published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research found that women who reviewed a flyer with clear, concise information about alcohol use during pregnancy changed their attitudes and increased their understanding of the risks of, and health recommendations about, drinking during pregnancy. The authors of the study recommend that health care providers and communities make similar information available to people of childbearing age to reduce the risk of harms related to prenatal exposure to alcohol.

An estimated one in ten pregnancies globally are exposed to alcohol, which confers increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This study evaluated the effectiveness of education to change women’s knowledge and attitudes about drinking while pregnant.

Before and after reading the leaflet, participants completed questionnaires which assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about drinking while pregnant, related health risks, and government guidance that no amount of alcohol use is safe during pregnancy. Participants were also asked whether the pregnancy was planned, when they found out about the pregnancy, and how much they drank during the pregnancy.

The study found the leaflet to be effective in changing knowledge and attitudes about drinking during pregnancy among the 1100 women who completed the study. Before reading the leaflet, 85 percent were aware of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the guidance on alcohol use during pregnancy, although only 40 percent felt the guidance was widely known. After reading the leaflet, participant knowledge increased overall, as well as on each specific knowledge question about prenatal alcohol exposure, such as the increased risk of infantile withdrawal symptoms or the increased risk of miscarriage. Overall, they viewed drinking during pregnancy more negatively after reading the leaflet.

Participants who, before reading the leaflet, were less knowledgeable about the risks and had more positive attitudes about drinking during pregnancy, and those who had reported alcohol use during their pregnancy, were most likely to demonstrate improvements in attitudes and knowledge.

The authors note that the intervention may have demonstrated greater impact in a participant sample more representative of the broader population. Study participants were recruited through social media and other groups focused on mothers, maternal health, and childbirth. Most were white, living with a partner, and had completed undergraduate education or higher. Eighty percent of their pregnancies were planned and confirmed within the first six weeks, in contrast to the 40 percent of pregnancies in the general U.K. population that are unplanned. Unintentional prenatal alcohol exposure can occur when people consume alcohol before they realize they are pregnant, highlighting the need for interventions for all women of childbearing age, not just those who are pregnant.

(Newswise/NS)