Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites suggests higher rate of alcohol use among pregnant women than found with the AUDIT--a pilot study in a population-based sample of Swedish women.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to investigate whether biomarkers of alcohol consumption would provide additional information to the use of a validated alcohol questionnaire in pregnant women.


METHODS
One hundred three pregnant women were included in the study. The women completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire, and a urine and hair sample was collected. The urine samples were used for determination of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate and the hair samples for EtG and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE).


RESULTS
Twenty-six women (25.2%) were identified as possible alcohol consumers by the combined use of AUDIT and direct ethanol metabolites. Seven subjects had EtG or FAEE levels in hair highly suspicious of heavy drinking, but only 1 of these were positive according to the AUDIT questionnaire


CONCLUSIONS
The combined use of the AUDIT questionnaire and direct ethanol metabolites appear to identify more potential alcohol consumers among pregnant women than does the sole use of the AUDIT questionnaire.
Wurst
Friedrich Martin
FM
Psychiatric University Clinic, Basel, Switzerland.
Kelso
Erika
E
Weinmann
Wolfgang
W
Pragst
Fritz
F
Yegles
Michel
M
Sundström Poromaa
Inger
I
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
D015415:Biomarkers; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005965:Glucuronates; C093924:ethyl glucuronide; D000431:Ethanol