Pregnant women’s understanding and conceptualisations of the harms from drinking alcohol: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Despite women’s awareness that drinking alcohol in pregnancy can lead to lifelong disabilities in a child, it appears that an awareness alone does not discourage some pregnant women from drinking. Objectives To explore influences on pregnant women’s decision making around alcohol use in a population with frequent and heavy peer drinking (i.e. in two Indigenous Australian communities) and another of non-Indigenous pregnant women attending antenatal care in a range of socioeconomic settings. Methods Individual and group discussions were held with both Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous pregnant women attending a variety of antenatal care models, including two Indigenous matern..