Abstract
Background and aims: To report on surveys of health professionals: 1443 in Western Australia, 165 in Denmark & 40 in the UK who were asked about their knowledge & practice regarding FAS & alcohol use during pregnancy.
Methods: In Australia & in the UK an anonymous postal questionnaire consisting of 44 multiple choice, Likert scale & open-questions was used. The Danish study used face-to-face interviews (open-ended questions). Analysis: descriptive statistics & the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results: Study response rates; Australia 79%, Denmark 77.5% & UK 72.5%.
12% of Australian participants could identify the 4 FAS diagnostic features compared with 10% in the UK (no DK data).
In Australia (A) 45% routinely asked pregnant women about alcohol intake compared with 85% in Denmark (DK) & 100% in the UK, but only 25% (A), 64% (DK) & 55% (UK) routinely gave advice. Abstaining from binge-drinking (n=≥5 drinks) was advised by 29% (A), 28% (DK) & by none in the UK. Total alcohol abstention was recommended by 87% in Australia, 28% in Denmark & 100% in the UK.
Only 13% of Australian & none of the Danish or UK participants provided information in accordance with their countries' national guidelines.
Conclusions: These international data suggest that knowledge about FAS is limited, that consistent, evidence-based alcohol advice is not provided & that 100 further education of health professionals and their clients is essential if we are to improve knowledge, practice & prevention of FAS worldwide.
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Thanks to the participating health professionals.
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Winstone, A., Kesmodel, U., Payne, J. et al. 192 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS); are We Getting the Message Across? Australian, Danish and British Data Analysed and Compared. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 100–101 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00192
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00192