Warning about drinking during pregnancy: lessons from the French expérience

Alcohol drinking during pregnancy or breast feeding can be harmful for the fetus. In France, since 2007, there is a warning recommending abstinence during pregnancy on every alcohol container. We do not know if women are aware of this warning, and if they know about the risks associated with drinking during pregnancy or breast feeding.

The aim of this study was to assess awareness of the warning and risk perceptions about prenatal drinking in women. Five years after the introduction of the label, we conducted telephone interviews with 3603 pregnant or postpartum French women. The sample reflected the population of French pregnant women and mothers. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with knowledge of risks and with awareness of the warning label.

The results showed that the warning label had been noticed by 66% of women and 77% of the women who reported drinking alcohol before pregnancy. Of those who had noticed the warning, 99% thought that it suggested abstinence. However, 41% of the women thought that spirits were more harmful than wine or beer, and 9% thought that drinking beer was recommended for lactation, which are both false statements.

In conclusion, women are aware of the warning but they do not know about the risks associated with wine and beer. Additional information campaigns should alert on the risks associated with all types of alcoholic beverages, including wine and beer.

Reprod Health. 2018; 15: 20.

Agnès Dumas, Stéphanie Toutain, Catherine Hill, and Laurence Simmat-Durand

Full article : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797422/