Alcoholic habits during pregnancy: an italian study in 582 pregnant women

Background. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a set of developmental malformations caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the strongest manifestation of FASD, results in short stature, microcephally and facial dysmorphogenesis including microphthalmia. One of the criteria for the diagnosis of FAS is the assessment of alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to make a photo of drinking habits during pregnancy. Methods. Preliminary results of this survey are underway to 582 unselected pregnant women, of different nationalities, who refer at Department of Obstetrics Gynaecology Urology Science, Sapienza University of Rome. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered, assessing the unit of alcohol introduced by their daily habits as well as alterations of consumption during the pregnancy. Results. This study shows that before pregnancy, 68.5% consume alcohol regularly in quantities and of these 25.3% did not change their habits during pregnancy. We found that in the first trimester 33.3% drink and 5.6% of this intake whenever more than one drink. In the second, 35.1% consume alcohol and 7.5% of this intake more than one drink. Finally, in the third trimester on 37.8% of women who drink, 3.3% consume alcohol more than one drink. Conclusions. Most women do not know how much drinking during pregnancy is dangerous for fetus. There is currently no cure for FAS, so there is only one sure way to prevent fetal alcohol-related conditions: completely avoid the use of alcohol during pregnancy. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can harm the developing fetus at all stages of pregnancy. It is therefore important to have a wide program of education. And it is essential that physicians adequately sensitize women who are pregnant or intend to start. i50 ESBRA 2011 ABSTRACTS Downloaded from alcalc.oxfordjournals.org by guest on October 18, 2011