A hard-hitting awareness campaign on the dangers of drinking during pregnancy successfully increased concerns about unborn babies’ exposure to alcohol and discouraged women from drinking while pregnant.
The campaign, featuring a glass mould of a fetus being filled with red wine through a glass placenta, also made the majority of those who saw it more likely to support others not to drink during pregnancy.
Professor Simone Pettigrew said that while a national recommendation of zero alcohol had been in place for over a decade, over a third of women drink at least some alcohol during pregnancy.
“Our research shows that well-designed campaigns on the effects of alcohol during pregnancy can really influence the drinking behaviour of future parents,” she said.
Alcohol used during pregnancy passes through the placenta, leading to similar blood alcohol levels for the developing fetus and the mother. It can affect a baby’s growth and can lead to a range of lifelong problems – collectively known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) – affecting things like memory, attention, reasoning and impulsivity. It is also associated with stillbirth.
