Decreasing Women's Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

Abstract

A woman's use of alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a combination of physical, neurological, and cognitive/behavioral abnormalities that has serious, lifelong ramifications for the child. Still pregnant women continue to consume alcohol with recently reported prevalence estimates of FASD on the increase. Intervention studies have been successful in decreasing prenatal alcohol use in alcohol dependent and nondependent women. Yet translation of these interventions into clinical practice is essential to prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies. This article provides information to assist practitioners in the provision of evidence-based interventions that decrease prenatal alcohol use, thereby, decreasing future incidence of FASD.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• pregnancy
• fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
• prevention
• behavior change