Alcohol counselling of 85 pregnant problem drinkers: effect on drinking and fetal outcome.
Eighty-five pregnant problem drinkers were given intensive counselling throughout gestation to persuade them to reduce or stop their alcohol intake. Nevertheless, 7% of their blood specimens collected at follow-up visits contained ethanol. Fifty-five women (65%) were able to reduce their alcohol consumption by at least 50%. Alcohol abuse was associated in a dose-dependent manner with fetal growth retardation detectable by ultrasonography from 27 weeks gestation. Twenty infants (24%) had a complete fetal alcohol syndrome and 22 (26%) had some features of 'fetal alcohol effects' (FAE). In addition, the rate of structural malformations was high (13%). Of the women with continuous alcohol abuse 89% gave birth to infants with at least one feature of FAE compared with only 40% of those who decreased their alcohol consumption.
Halmesmäki
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011295:Prenatal Care