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Alcohol and the Woman of Childbearing Age – A Public Health Problem
Author(s) -
Pratt Oliver
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1981.tb03236.x
Subject(s) - pregnancy , public health , child bearing , medicine , alcohol consumption , in utero , environmental health , consumption (sociology) , alcohol , population , nursing , fetus , sociology , genetics , social science , biology , biochemistry , chemistry
Summary Recent work has established on a rational basis what has been understood instinctively throughout recorded history – that excessive maternal consumption of alcohol is harmful to the baby developing in utero. From conception onwards, the risk of anomalies of development (mostly minor) and retardation of intrauterine growth increases more or less in proportion to the level of alcohol consumption. Since much of the damage occurs early in pregnancy before most women realise that they are pregnant, the problem of prevention becomes one for the public health field. All professional workers concerned with women of child‐bearing age should be aware, therefore, of what the facts are and how to help the woman who may become pregnant to reduce her alcohol intake. They have a dual role to play – detection of those at risk and effective counselling of the patients after their identification.