[Tabacco, alcohol and pemba consumption during pregnancy in French Guyana]

The risks to the unborn child from maternal consumption of alcohol, tobacco and substances during pregnancy are well documented in the medical literature. Data on such consumption in Frensh Guyana are scattered and scarce, which prevents prevention policies from being adapted to the local context.

To compensate for the inadequacy of the data, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 2017-2018 in Guyana's three maternity units with 789 mothers. Among other things, this survey aimed at gathering data about consumption, about information received on substance consumption during pregnancy, and about the interest of professionals met by the women in these matters.

Tobacco and alcohol consumption at the end of pregnancy were respectively 2% and 17%. Two profiles of alcohol consumers emerged: in Cayenne, French women with a high school level of education or more consuming on occasion wine and in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, regular beer consumers among women speaking a language of the river, born in Guyana. Finally, Pemba (clay) was used by 15% of the pregnant women. Although the percentage of smokers is much lower than that of metropolitan France, the percentage of alcohol consumers is significantly higher in Guyana. Women speaking in Creole and French or/and those with a high school level education and more would be less asked about their alcohol consumption. Finally, these women with a high school degree or more believe that they have had information about alcohol risk during school or through prevention campaigns, while those with a primary education level would have been better informed by health professionals.

The low tobacco consumption of women in Guyana is in line with that of all the FODs. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy seems slightly higher than in metropolitan France. Alcohol users have specific profiles, linked to the isolation of the municipality of residence, a low level of education, traditional consumption of Pemba and previous experience of miscarriage. The prevalence of Pemba use is a source of concern for professionals, especially when associated with beer consumption. Mobilization of local teams on the issue of alcohol during pregnancy is strong. However, professionals tend to interview women in lower Professions and Socioprofessional Categories, or PCS, more often, as in metropolitan France, with a level of education below the high school degree or whose mother tongue differs from French or French Creole.