Abstract
Background
Exposure to alcohol prenatally can result in a child being diagnosed with fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder. Affected infants experience lifelong impairments that can involve,
physical, cognitive, behavioural and emotional difficulties that impact on their functional
capacity. Effective prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is critically needed
in Australia. Reduction in the prevalence of this disorder will only be possible if
we prevent alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Aim
This paper provides an overview of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and discusses the
role of caseload midwifery as part of a multi-level prevention approach.
Findings
Drawing on previous research, caseload midwifery has potential to support the prevention
of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder through continuity of care.
Conclusion
Prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder will be more likely if women experience
a supportive relationship with a known midwife, who has received appropriate training
and can enable women to feel comfortable in discussing and addressing alcohol use.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Women and BirthAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Guidelines for the identification and management of substance use and substance use disorders in pregnancy.2014
- Australian guidelines to reduce risks from drinking alcohol.Australia Co, Canberra2009
- Guidelines for pregnancy: what’s an acceptable risk, and how is the evidence (finally) shaping up?.Drug Alcohol Rev. 2012; 31: 170-183
- Alcohol consumption during pregnancy in nonindigenous west Australian women.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007; 31: 276-284
- Changes in alcohol consumption in pregnant Australian women between 2007 and 2011.Med J Aust. 2013; 199: 355-357
- Cognitive aspects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci. 2013; 4: 81-92
- Risk factors for adverse life outcomes in fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects.J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2004; 25: 228-238
- Prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.Pediatrics. 2014; 134: 855-866
- Global prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.JAMA Pediatr. 2017; 171: 948-956
- Prevalence and profile of Neurodevelopment and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) amongst Australian Aboriginal children living in remote communities.Res Dev Disabil. 2017; 65: 114-126
- The burden and economic impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Canada.Canad CfAaMHPHA, Canada2015
- What influences Australian women to not drink alcohol during pregnancy?.Aust J Prim Health. 2012; 18: 68-73
- If you can have one glass of wine now and then, why are you denying that to a woman with no evidence: knowledge and practices of health professionals concerning alcohol consumption during pregnancy.Women Birth. 2015; 28: 329-335
- Midwives’ knowledge, attitudes and practice about alcohol exposure and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14: 377
- Health professionals’ knowledge, practice and opinions about fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol consumption in pregnancy.Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005; 29: 558-564
- Factors influencing women’s decisions to drink alcohol during pregnancy: findings of a qualitative study with implications for health communication.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14: 246
- Prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: current Canadian efforts and analysis of gaps.Subst Abuse Res Treat. 2016; 10: 1
- Improving maternity services in Australia. The report of the maternity services review.Ageing DoHa, Canberra2009
- National maternity services plan.Health Do, Canberra2011
- Effects of continuity of care by a primary midwife (caseload midwifery) on caesarean section rates in women of low obstetric risk: the COSMOS randomised controlled trial.BJOG Int J Obstet Gynaecol. 2012; 119: 1483-1492
- Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women.The Cochrane Library, 2016
- Caseload midwifery care versus standard maternity care for women of any risk: [email protected], a randomised controlled trial.Lancet. 2013; 382: 1723-1732
- Implementing caseload midwifery: exploring the views of maternity managers in Australia—a national cross-sectional survey.Women Birth. 2016; 29: 214-222
- Clinical practice guildeines: antenatal care—module 1.Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, ACT2012
- Women’s perceptions of information about alcohol use during pregnancy: a qualitative study.BMC Public Health. 2014; 14: 1048
- How important are the common factors in psychotherapy? An update.World Psychiatry. 2015; 14: 270-277
- Mothers’ views of caseload midwifery and the value of continuity of care at an Australian regional hospital.Midwifery. 2010; 26: 615-621
- How optimal caseload midwifery can modify predictors for preterm birth in young women: integrated findings from a mixed methods study.Midwifery. 2016; 41: 30-38
- Caseload midwifery in a multi-ethnic community: the women’s experiences.Midwifery. 2013; 29: 996-1002
- ‘No more strangers’: investigating the experiences of women, midwives and others during the establishment of a new model of maternity care for remote dwelling aboriginal women in northern Australia.Midwifery. 2014; 30: 317-323
- A cost-consequences analysis of a Midwifery Group Practice for Aboriginal mothers and infants in the Top End of the Northern Territory Australia.Midwifery. 2014; 30: 447-455
- Paternal drinking, intimate relationship quality, and alcohol consumption in pregnant Ukrainian women.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2011; 72: 536-544
- Predictors of drinking during pregnancy: a systematic review.J Women’s Health (2002). 2011; 20: 901-913
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 27, 2018
Accepted:
March 14,
2018
Received in revised form:
February 2,
2018
Received:
September 22,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
