[Alcohol and pregnancy in Lorraine: Study of professional practice and aid to detection]

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the main non-genetic cause of mental disability in children. "The zero alcohol rule" during pregnancy is recommended but no tracking tool is available to perinatal professionals. In order to improve prevention of FASD in Lorraine, the Lorraine Perinatal Network conducted an assessment of current practices by perinatal professionals and proposed a tool to facilitation detection of FASD.

The proposed tool is a self-assessment questionnaire combining the AUDIT-C and T-ACE procedures. One hundred randomly selected professionals and all midwives of the Department of Maternal and Child Health (Meurthe-et-Moselle) were asked about their practices before filling in the self-assessment questionnaire.

Midwives (98%) were significantly more involved than doctors (53%) (p < 0.0001). 32% of the professionals interviewed encountered difficulties talking about alcohol and 30% were willing to be trained in this issue. The majority of professionals who tested the tool found it to be appropriate. Pregnant women easily answered the questionnaire. Only 15 women reported drinking alcohol during pregnancy, while the self-administered survey revealed that 38 women required specific monitoring.

It remains difficult to encourage active participation of professionals, especially doctors, in this field. Professionals expressed the need for an aid to detection of high-risk behaviours. The proposed tool facilitates detection, but there is still room for improvement.

The Perinatal Network must find new means to mobilize professionals, organize training programmes and improve the tool so that drinking can be systematically discussed during prenatal visits.