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A GLOBAL STUDY published recently suggests that over 60% of Irish mothers drink alcohol during pregnancy.
The study by The Lancet places Ireland first in the top five countries in the world who drink during pregnancy, along with Russia (37%), the United Kingdom (41%), Denmark (46%), and Belarus (47%) – all European countries.
The study was conducted by linking rates of drinking during pregnancy (as reported by mothers in batches of local studies) to rates of foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which is directly caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Researchers analysed over 20,000 studies which documented mothers’ reports of drink intake during pregnancy, and excluded any studies with a bias – finishing with 365 studies.
This included a batch of Irish studies representing Irish mothers from between 1990-2011 and compared these with rates of FAS per population.
Dr Jennifer Donnelly, Consultant Obstetrician at the Rotunda Hospital says the study gives a great oversight into the global rates of alcohol usage during pregnancy, and that the results for Ireland were “startling”.
She says that although there are some limitations, such as the study is based on other reports and that the criteria for what ‘drinking’ during pregnancy is defined as, it’s more likely that the figures are a conservative figure for rates of drinking worldwide.
“There has been an increase in [excessive] drinking in Ireland, especially among young women, who tend to binge drink and then abstain for a while. Then there are those who drink alcohol at the start because they don’t know they’re pregnant.”
In 2008, Dr Donnelly conducted a study of alcohol consumption among 1,000 first-time mothers, and got a figure of 50% – which is very close to The Lancet’s findings.
Foetal alcohol syndrome
FAS is caused when alcohol blocks oxygen and nutrients from travelling through the placenta to the baby. Altered facial features is another sign of FAS, and occurs when the mother takes alcohol between months 6-9 of the pregnancy, which is when facial features form.
It’s not known how much alcohol you can consume before FAS begins; so complete abstinence of alcohol during pregnancy is advised.
Children with FAS have problems with their neurological development, and abnormal growth, which may include learning disabilities, poor academic achievement, poor organisation, lack of inhibition, difficulty writing or drawing, or balance problems.
An estimated 119,000 children are born with FAS worldwide, according to this same study, but not every woman who drinks while pregnant will have a child with FAS.
“We estimated that one in 67 mothers who drink during pregnancy will deliver a child with FAS,” says lead author Dr Svetlana Popova.
This was a conservative estimate, according to the researchers, as it doesn’t include other types of conditions caused by alcohol during pregnancy.
The lowest levels of FAS were in Middle Eastern regions, where alcohol consumption is illegal or prohibited by religious beliefs.
Updated, 1pm.
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I recently saw an ex-colleague on social media talking about ‘bumps first big night out’ and how hungover she was, at least 20-30 of her girl friends congratulating or sympathizing…. Found myself questioning if she knew the potential damage she was doing and just didn’t care.
Similarly I had lunch with another friend the day before she was due to be induced next to the table that were drinking, she was looking at them saying 9 months without a glass of wine. Admired her resolve to see it through to the end, even passed the period when alcohol would cause damage.
GP’s tell women the “odd glass of wine” is OK, when in fact “there is no safe level of alcohol when pregnant “. So, they should be telling women to stop drinking altogether when pregnant.
@Drew TheChinaman :): It doesn’t take much resolve to stop drinking unless you have a drink problem. One of the great fallacies of our time, in Irish culture, is that you are actually ‘giving it up’ as if it was some kind of a huge loss.It isn’t. For a period of time over the last few year it seems everyone in Ireland who stopped drinking for a few months wrote an article in one of the Irish publications and had it printed/published. “My life without booze” or “Day 21″ etc. A load of complete tosh. It’s not hard to stop drinking if you don’t have a problem in the first place. And it’s complete BS that you’re treated like some kind of a social pariah if you don;t drink in Ireland. That stopped 25 years ago ffs.
GPs don’t concern themselves with what’s safest so much as patient compliance and the fact that most patients vastly underestimate or outright lie when questioned about diet, exercise, drinking.
They see getting as close to honest answers as possible and offering practical advice that people are likely to comply with as a superior tactic to lecturing or forbidding them.
Some experts recommend the man and woman should avoid alcohol for three months prior to conception.
completely unrealistic. I know people who tried to conceive for over a year! you just can’t know in advance how long it’s gonna take. I’d say 75% of expecting mothers had a glass of wine before being aware of her pregnancy
@Julian Friesel: Whatever way you look at it we top the charts. So other countries seem to be doing it. And this research was conducted by asking mothers details of consumption and like sex surveys, it’s likely these figures are an underrepresentation of the actual figures.
i meant the three months prior to conception is unrealistic
Jesus that is messaged up, no way I could see a post like that on Facebook and not comment.
Women should be held accoutable for this. Wrong on so many levels.
Not just women.
While women should definitely abstain from drink/cigarettes while pregnant, there is an equally compelling argument for men to abstain BEFORE conceiving.
@Coles:
I’m keeping an open mind but epigenetics would seem to be largely bunkum.
And I’d say of that proportion, and other fair proportion smoke too. Hard to believe in this day and age anyone would be unaware drinking (beyond a very small amount) and smoking during pregnancy is a no-no. I know a few who women who not only gave up drinking, but also smoking when pregnant despite being near chain smokers prior.
Some women translate the odd glass of wine into the odd drinking session.
At least putting it behind a curtain in shops will stop all bad drinking *sarcasm*
Disgrace they should be held accountable for there actions
Lock the boozy bitches in the laundries again. The nuns will beat manners into them and the only wine allowed will be the transubstantiated holy blood of Christ!
The numbers are shocking but what doesn’t seem to be talked about is that the numbers are from a period between 1990 and 2011. It might not seem like 6 years later can make a difference but it can. Ireland’s total alcohol consumption has been pretty much steadily declining since 2002.
I took a look at the linked report. Now, I didn’t read the whole thing but just searched for Ireland. The figures indicate to me that in 1990, pregnant women drinking in Ireland (Dublin) was 54% however between 2010 and 2011, that figure shot down to 32% if I’m reading it right. 32% is a much less shocking figure.
The 60% figure is an average based on a wide time period during most of which it wasn’t Ireland’s policy to recommend abstinence during pregnancy. In fact I’m pretty sure that some doctors in Ireland still say that the odd drink is fine.
Personally, I wouldn’t risk it and think total abstinence during pregnancy is just the safer route and that’s what everyone should be encouraged.
It’s only in the last 10 years that I have noticed a move in the media, TV shows and general medical advice that total abstinence during pregnancy is advised.
I would love to know what the current 2015/2016 figures would be. They could conceivably be below that 32% figure in 2011 mentioned in the report but not in the media.
If only we could leave being pregnant to the some of the men here. They seem to be experts on it!
The article clearly demonstrates that Irish women are not not demonstrating a mature attitude regards alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Might be time for the fathers to step in and remind them of their responsibilities.
I believe it’s time to show pictures/videos to create awareness of a healthy and an unhealthy placenta ie. ( the dinner plate for the baby in the Womb that comes out after the birth’) in advertising and in the schools. Placentas of mothers who smoke are very delicate and runny and come apart on touch. A mother who doesn’t smoke or drink have a very firm placenta which means the baby was well nourished in the womb. This would be a real eye opener that would make young ‘mothers-to- be” decline from these bad habits during pregnancy.
@C_O’S:
Not entirely true.
I have seen placentas of smokers that were perfect and placentas from non smokers that were highly calcified and fragile. Its much more complex than that.
I have never seen a smokers placenta that was ‘runny and come(s) apart on touch’, not in my experience as a midwife or placenta encasulator.
The truth be told, there is no ‘safe’ limit of alcohol in pregnancy. There, by default is no ‘unsafe’ limit either.
I’d like to see the detailed research and see what co-morbid factors were taken into account. We still dont recognise the damage of pollutants in the atmosphere and the issues with GMO foods and foods laden with chemicals. Its far more complex.
Irish women need to be educated about the risks of drinking during pregnancy.
Maybe the Women’s Council of Ireland could initiate a nationwide campaign targetting young girls to help overcome this ignorance.
Unbelievavble in 2017.
I believe many know the risks, but don’t care or think it won’t happen to them.
@Lily:
Or perhaps the risks are overstated, a case of the boy who cried wolf.
The risks of FAS are vastly overstated and used by the behaviour police to berate pregnant women who drink alcohol. When the University of London found that light to moderated drinking during pregnancy ” had no discernable harmful effects on resulting children” it was criticised for being off message.
FAS is caused by sustained heavy drinking and also lack nutrition. There seems to be plenty of scaremongers about.
http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_54928.asp
“Seven medical studies included over 130,000 pregnancies. They found that having two to 14 drinks per week does not increase risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. Or of malformations of any form.”
Polygenis, D., et al. Moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the incidence of fetal malformations. Neurotox Teralol., 1998, 20, 61-67.
@midwifebutterfly:
That page doesn’t load but it looks like a group with an agenda. I prefer impartial studies that haven’t got a predetermined outcome and make the data fit.
@Joe: I think you will find if you copy and paste the link, it will actually agree with your original post….
Woman’s body, woman’s choice. I believe that’s the phrase of choice these days. Can’t complain, it’s either their body, their choice or it’s not just their body…
Is it not each woman’s choice? It’s her body! No business of anyone telling her what she can do with her body while pregnant especially men.
@Padraig Corcoran: Yup! Yup! It’s their choice to ignore the medical advice that they will be given,if they so please! And what the hell has it got to do with men?
Nothing to do with men so let’s not even have a point of view on the topic.
When you are ‘telling’ her what she can do with her body,you are trying to control her. I have no issue with any person having an opinion…
I’d be worried about myself if I couldn’t go without a drink for 9 months…. when I was pregnant I gave up smoking and drinking…I just couldn’t do it to a tiny baby
@Sinead:
Bravo Sinead.
If only there were more women like you in Ireland.
How do they know? In Italy they drink wind at the 11 O’Clock break. They can’t eat a spice burger in France without wine.
Yes but in those places they don’t continue drinking another 20 glasses after the first one.
Obviously not when pregnant though
Number 1 for smoking too I’d say!
That is extremely f*cked up. Any mother that drinks (or smokes) during pregnancy should have the child taken off them at birth.
Maybe they should get a nine month sentence,too..
Is it not a fact that most children are a result of drink or drug bringing or sometimes both?
Sorry. that should be “wine” not wind ,,,,, typing from bed again
@Val Martin – not how that’s relevant? The post isn’t about drinking alcohol in general, it’s about drinking during pregnancy…
Or drinking Vinos in bed Val, like the Italians lol!
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