Knowledge as prevention: A cost-effective intervention to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) remains high despite international guidelines recommending alcohol abstinence during pregnancy. This poses a significant public health concern, as PAE is known to have harmful effects on fetal development and is the cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Enhancing knowledge and shifting attitudes toward PAE may help reduce its occurrence, but evidence remains limited. This study examined the impact of an educational intervention on knowledge and attitudes toward PAE among pregnant and recently pregnant women.

A total of 1536 UK-based women aged 19-50 years (M = 33.3 years) participated in an anonymous online questionnaire with an embedded intervention consisting of an existing information leaflet, "Alcohol and Pregnancy," developed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Participants completed pre- and postintervention evaluations of their knowledge and attitudes toward PAE.

The intervention led to significantly increased negative attitudes toward PAE (z = -9.67, p < 0.001, r = 0.29) and improved knowledge of its associated risks (z = -21.16, p < 0.001, r = 0.65). Regression analysis indicated that participants with alcohol-exposed pregnancies, and with more positive initial attitudes and lower baseline knowledge of PAE-associated risks, experienced the greatest changes postintervention (F [11, 1021] = 25.42, p < 0.001, adj. R² = 0.208).

These findings highlight the effectiveness of low-cost, self-administered educational interventions in enhancing knowledge of risks and discouraging alcohol use during pregnancy. Implementation of such interventions in community, clinical, and online settings is recommended to reduce prenatal alcohol consumption.