Implications for practice and research

• Alcohol consumption by pregnant women should be routinely assessed in maternity and other health settings.

• Pregnant women who report excessive alcohol consumption should be referred to the appropriate intervention and support services.

• Future research should confirm the extent of under-reported alcohol diagnoses among pregnant women.

• Consistent and widespread use of practice guidelines is needed to reduce high risk in utero alcohol exposure among indigenous as well as non-indigenous populations.

Context

There is an increasing concern that alcohol-use disorders in women have become more prevalent, ranging from 3% to 28% according to the setting …