Alcohol use during pregnancy - a Portuguese study

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a significant health problem because of the risks for negative prenatal, neonatal and later neurobehavioral outcomes ranging from subtle developmental problems to fetal alcohol syndrome. In spite of the increase of consumption of Portuguese women, data about alcohol use during pregnancy is scarce. This work aims to describe patterns of alcohol consumption and possible relations with psychological experience of pregnancy in a sample of 1000 pregnant Portuguese women. Recruitment strategies included healthcare professionals, word of mouth, collaboration with community/health services and national websites and social networking sites commonly consulted by pregnant women (in–person self-report questionnaires and online questionnaires). The questionnaires included standardized scales (AUDIT and Pregnancy and Motherhood Attitudes Scale) and questions about sociodemographics, gestation and parity, and healthcare. Data concerning descriptive and inferential analysis about alcohol use and attitudes toward pregnancy and maternity will be present. Despite World Health Organization, European and Portuguese governmental concerns and recommendations, we found that approximate 20% (in-person and online) pregnant women continue to drink during pregnancy and that consumptions are related to differences on some dimensions of the psychological experience of pregnancy. We defend that adequate screening and report strategies must be organized based on a non-punitive/collaborative approach between different professionals involved in health care arena. We hope that this kind of work represents an alert and a step for future research as a base to setting out effective strategies for prevention, screening and management of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in our country.