[Alcoholism during pregnancy: an underestimated health problem].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the frequency of consumption of alcohol in pregnant women who went to a module of prenatal control; to describe the consumption habits and to identify the number of cases in those that the physician of first level identified the addiction, using the institutional instruments.


METHODS
A descriptive and prospective study was carried out, the study population was selected by means of non randomized sampling of the total of pregnant women who went to receive services of prenatal control, in two units of family medicine of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. The instrument AUDIT (Alcoholism Disorders Identification Test) was used, to identify use-frequency, abuse, dependence and physical/mental damage conditioned by the alcohol.


RESULTS
In 132 studied women, it found a frequency of 45.5% of pregnant women with positive consumption and a case of dependence, none of which was identified by the family doctor.


CONCLUSIONS
The consumption of alcohol in the studied population is high, even bigger than the frequency detected in populations of non pregnant women. The use of detection tests such as the AUDIT and the implementation of measures guided to the training and the personnel's of health sensitization about the magnitude and impact of this problem are recommended.
Montesinos Balboa
Jorge Eduardo
JE
Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital General de Zona 1, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Tapachula, Chiapas. montesinos_eduardo@hotmail.com
Altúzar González
Marlene
M
Benítez Castillejos
Fortunato
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires