Alcohol consumption by pregnant women in the Western Cape

Objective. To assess alcohol use by pregnant women in three underprivileged areas of the Western Cape. Design. Data were collected from subjects, selected in a randomised manner, during a single, structured interview. Subjects and setting. interviews we re conducted among pregnant women voluntarily attending selected antenatal clinics in the George/Oudtshoorn, Vredenburg/Saldanha, and Cape Metropole a reas of the Western Cape. Outcome Measures. On completion-of the interview women at risk were counsel led with regard to the dangers of prenatal alcohol exposure to the fetus. Results. 42.8% of the women in the sample admitted to varying degrees of al cohol ingestion during the current pregnancy. The reported alcohol intake o f over 55% of these women, i.e. 23.7% of the sample, was sufficient to plac e their unborn children at high risk for the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). These heavy drinkers followed a pattern of binge drinking over weekends and showed a marked preference for beer. Combined alcohol and tobacco use occu rred in 29.6% of the sample. Only one subject admitted to using marijuana. Conclusion. The data in this study confirm that a high rate of alcohol and tobacco use prevails among pregnant women in poorer communities of the West ern Cape. Extrapolating from experience, as many as 9.5% of the sample may produce children with FAS.