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Changes in smoking and drinking during pregnancy
1Department of Psychiatry, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide.
Changes in alcohol and nicotine usage during pregnancy are reported from a sample of 40 pregnant women, 28 of whom smoked prior to pregnancy and 32 of whom drank alcohol. Although most women wanted to reduce or stop their intake during pregnancy, the drinkers were far more successful in their attempt than the smokers. Thus, 85% of drinkers achieved or bettered their target behaviour (in terms of consumption), while 53% of smokers 'failed' in their attempt. Women can identify reasons which influence their smoking and drinking behaviour during pregnancy and, in particular, the amount of emotional attachment to the unborn child appears to be important. However, endorsement of a particular reason does not appear to relate in any simple way to actual consumption, and a major disparity between health beliefs and actual behaviour was apparent. Implications for primary prevention programmes and future research are discussed.
Changes in alcohol and nicotine usage during pregnancy are reported from a sample of 40 pregnant women, 28 of whom smoked prior to pregnancy and 32 of whom drank alcohol. Although most women wanted to reduce or stop their intake during pregnancy, the drinkers were far more successful in their attempt than the smokers. Thus, 85% of drinkers achieved or bettered their target behaviour (in terms of consumption), while 53% of smokers 'failed' in their attempt. Women can identify reasons which influence their smoking and drinking behaviour during pregnancy and, in particular, the amount of emotional attachment to the unborn child appears to be important. However, endorsement of a particular reason does not appear to relate in any simple way to actual consumption, and a major disparity between health beliefs and actual behaviour was apparent. Implications for primary prevention programmes and future research are discussed.