A retrospective review of self-reported alcohol intake among women attending for antenatal care in Far North Queensland.
BACKGROUND
Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are known to occur among children delivered to women in Far North Queensland; to date, the problem has not been quantified or related directly to maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the characteristics of women who consume alcohol during pregnancy, in order to identify 'high-risk' women to whom educational intervention regarding fetal alcohol syndrome may be targeted.


METHODS
A retrospective descriptive study using the case notes of all women attending the antenatal booking clinic in Cairns Base Hospital over the 3-month period from April to June 2005. Obstetric and demographic information and self-reported alcohol intake before and during pregnancy were noted and self-reported alcohol intake before and during pregnancy.


RESULTS
Five hundred and forty-one women were included in this study. Of these women, 24.6% were found to consume alcohol during pregnancy and 57.7% were found to consume alcohol before pregnancy, indicating a reduction in alcohol consumed once women became aware of pregnancy. The most significant indicator for alcohol consumption during pregnancy was found to be alcohol consumption before pregnancy. Of women who consumed alcohol in pregnancy, 71.5% drank moderate amounts of alcohol before pregnancy and 28.7% drank heavily before pregnancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is common in Far North Queensland. Methods currently used during antenatal booking visits to determine alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy are unreliable. Strategies to identify women consuming alcohol before and during pregnancy and education programs are vitally important if the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and spectrum disorder is to be reduced.
Rimmer
Claire
C
School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
de Costa
Caroline
C
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D044382:Population Groups; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies