New informative and prevention programs in Europe to reduce the risks associated to alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the appearance of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.197Keywords:
alcohol consumption, gestation, fetal damage, fetal alcohol syndromeAbstract
In the last 40 years a vast mass of clinical, epidemiological and experimental evidence has demonstrated that alcohol is a teratogenic agent and that its consumption during gestation can cause foetal death, malformations and cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions in the exposed fetus. The most dramatic presentation is the complete foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is observed in children born from heavy alcohol consuming mothers. FAS and of other fetal alcohol-related effects was reported in both USA and Europe in the middle 80´s. However, despite these evidences, many European countries have largely forgotten or minimize the risks associated with prenatal ethanol exposure. Thirty years later, new epidemiological and clinical studies as well as new biomarkers of fetal-alcohol damage have identified high risk populations and have provided data demonstrating that significant number of women in the EU drink during pregnancy. In September of 2009, a conference on “ALCOHOL AND PREGNANCY” was organized sponsored by the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, to discuss political interventions in the EU concerning this question. I briefly summarize here the discussions, presentations and the prevention programs of some European countries. The main conclusion of the conference was that we need more information and prevention programs to improve prevention of the harmful consequences of alcohol consumption during gestation.References
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