pregnant woman with wine glass
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has come under criticism after revealing plans to record details of pregnant women’s alcohol consumption on their child medical records.
The UK has one of the highest rates of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the world; with 61.3 cases per 10,000 births compared to the global average of 15 per 10,000. Advocates of the new guidelines argue that they will be essential in helping doctors to diagnose and prevent the condition.
However, opponents of the proposals, including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BASP), say that they would constitute a breach of both maternal privacy and data protection regulations.
Clare Murphy, the BASP’s director of external affairs, told press that women should not lose their right to privacy and confidentiality simply because they are pregnant. She made reference to a recent BASP survey of 725 women which found that six in ten believed data regarding alcohol consumption should not be disclosed without maternal consent.
However, many, including Sue Armstrong Brown, the chief executive of Adoption UK, believe that more needs to be done to find a healthy balance between a mother’s right to privacy and the best interests of children. Her organisation knows all about the toll wrought by excessive maternal alcohol consumption – according to BASP, alcohol abuse is a significant factor in 70% of all cases of adoption.
The impact of maternal alcohol consumption can be difficult to measure, particularly when it is in smaller quantities. Although a 2016 report by the UK’s chief medical officer deemed the risks of low level consumption to be minimal, it did advocate the use of the “precautionary principle” by advising women to avoid all alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
Even non-pregnant people need to be careful about their alcohol consumption; the substance is implicated in many worrying health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and liver disease, and no person should consume more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
However, pregnant women need to be especially cautious as alcohol passes to the unborn baby through the placenta. Furthermore, unborn children cannot properly metabolise alcohol and exposure can cause miscarriage, premature birth, behavioural problems and under-weight births.
Unfortunately, there is insufficient evidence regarding the impact of minimal alcohol consumption in pregnancy. This is why it is advised that pregnant women eliminate their alcohol consumption altogether. To find out more, read out page on alcohol consumption in pregnancy.