Changes in drinking patterns during and after pregnancy among mothers of children with fetal alcohol syndrome: A study in three districts of South Africa

- A minority of South African mothers to children with P/FAS stop drinking in pregnancy.
- Cessation of drinking, and of recidivism post-pregnancy, varies between sites.
- Despite recidivism, stopping in pregnancy is associated with abstinence >7 years later.
- Selective interventions should target pregnancy but extend into the puerperium.

BackgroundMixed ancestry populations in South Africa have amongst the highest rates of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) worldwide. Defining the drinking patterns of women with a FAS child guides FAS preventive interventions.MethodsData were drawn from FAS prevalence surveys conducted in three districts: Witzenberg (Cape Winelands), Frances Baard (inland mining town) and Saldanha Bay (coastal towns). 156 mothers and 50 proxy informants of school-entry children diagnosed with FAS and partial-FAS were interviewed, and compared with 55 controls recruited in Saldanha Bay.ResultsStudy participants were of low socio-economic status (SES), and a majority of children were either in foster care (12%) or had been cared for by relatives for long periods (44%). Of cases, 123/160 (77%) reported current drinking, similar between sites. During pregnancy, only 35% (49/139) of cases had stopped drinking, varying between sites (from 21% to 54% in chronological order of surveys; p < 0.001), while 6% (7/109) increased drinking. Though many women who stopped in pregnancy resumed postpartum, cessation in pregnancy was strongly associated with discontinuation in the long run (OR = 3.3; 95%CI = 1.2-8.9; p = 0.005). At interview, 36% of cases (54/151) and 18% of controls (9/51) were at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy (p = 0.02). Median maternal mass of cases was 22 kg lower than controls, with 20% being underweight and 14% microcephalic.ConclusionsIncreasing rates of drinking cessation during pregnancy over time suggest rising awareness of FAS. Cessation is associated with recidivism after pregnancy but also with reduced long-term drinking. Interventions should target alcohol abstinence in pregnancy, but extend into the puerperium.