Multiple Tools Are Needed for the Detection of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Findings From a Community Antenatal Setting

Background Although the toxic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on children are well established, there is emerging evidence about the dynamics and associated demographics of drinking patterns across pregnancy, with risky drinking more likely to take place in the period before pregnancy awa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research clinical and experimental research, 2020-04, Vol.44 (4), p.1001-1011
Main Authors: Stevens, Suzanne, Anstice, Nicola, Cooper, Aimee, Goodman, Lucy, Rogers, Jennifer, Wouldes, Trecia A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol use
Alcoholism
Amnesia
Biomarker
Biomarkers
Demography
Drinking behavior
Drug tolerance
Drug use
Fetuses
Interviews
Lifestyles
Measurement Tools
Neonates
Pregnancy
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Prenatal experience
Questionnaires
Social desirability
Substance use
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Summary:Background Although the toxic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on children are well established, there is emerging evidence about the dynamics and associated demographics of drinking patterns across pregnancy, with risky drinking more likely to take place in the period before pregnancy awareness. This study investigated the use of complementary measurement tools in the understanding of alcohol use across pregnancy and reports on the rates and patterns of alcohol use in a community antenatal setting. Methods Data on alcohol consumption before and after awareness of pregnancy were collected via multiple measurement tools: anonymous lifestyle questionnaire, TWEAK (Tolerance, Worried, Eye‐opener, Amnesia, K/Cut down) screener questionnaire, and Substance Use Inventory interviews across multiple pregnancy timepoints. Additionally, phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a direct biomarker of alcohol metabolism, collected from newborns’ dried blood spot cards, was analyzed. Results The TWEAK screener was more likely to identify risky drinking behavior than the lifestyle questionnaire. When pregnancy was unplanned, women were more likely to find out they are pregnant significantly later (p 
ISSN:0145-6008
1530-0277
DOI:10.1111/acer.14309