title: Women's perception of risks of adverse fetal pregnancy outcomes: a large-scale multinational survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine pregnant women and new mothers' perception of risks in pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a large-scale multinational survey including 9113 pregnant women and new mothers from 18 countries in Europe, North America and Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk perception scores (0-10) for harmful effects to the fetus were derived for: (1) medicines (over-the-counter medicine and prescribed medicine), (2) food substances (eggs and blue veined cheese), (3) herbal substances (ginger and cranberries) (4) alcohol and tobacco, and (5) thalidomide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 80% (6453/8131) of women perceived the risk of giving birth to a child with a birth defect to be ≤ 5 of 100 births. The women rated cranberries and ginger least harmful (mean risk perception scores 1.1 and 1.5 of 10, respectively) and antidepressants, alcohol, smoking and thalidomide as most harmful (7.6, 8.6, 9.2 and 9.4 out of 10, respectively). The perception varied with age, level of education, pregnancy status, profession and geographical region. Noticeably, 70% had not heard about thalidomide, but of those who had (2692/9113), the risk perception scores were 0.4-0.5 points lower in women below 25 years compared to women aged 26-30 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, women perceived the risks of giving birth to a child with birth defects low, but there were substantial disparities between women's perceived risks and the actual risks when it comes to over-the-counter agents against nausea and prescribed medication. The study revealed that few women knew of thalidomide, suggesting that the general awareness among women of the teratogenic effects of thalidomide is declining, but it has left a general scepticism about safety of medication in pregnancy. This may have some severe consequences if women are left without medical treatments in pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Population Health, UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Population Health, UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: McCrea
authors.affiliation: Department of PharmacoEpidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.affiliation: Department of PharmacoEpidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Hedvig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nordeng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D009656:North America; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology*; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: perception of risks; pregnancy