Outcome of pregnancy in women treated at an alcohol clinic.

The studies in man concerning foetal alcohol damage have mostly covered skid row female alcoholics, and no study has described the outcome of pregnancy of a larger group of women receiving inpatient care for alcoholism. In another study we have described the medical and social characteristics of such a group (n = 92) of women, as well as those of an age-matched control group. This article reports retrospectively on the pregnancies and the infants of these women. The pregnancies and deliveries were normal in both groups. There was no significant difference in rate of stillbirths, neonatal mortality, perinatal asphyxia or neonatal distress. In infants born to alcoholic mothers after established regular alcohol consumption (n = 31), a significant reduction of mean placental weight, birth weight, length at birth and head circumference at birth, was found compared with control infants (n = 170). In the former group 12.9% of the infants were small for gestational age, in the latter 1.3%. Congenital malformations were significantly increased in the former group. Thus, in female inpatients at an alcohol clinic a history of increased risk for adverse neonatal outcome was found.