One in eight pregnancies in Ibadan is exposed to alcohol, while palm wine and beer are the most consumed alcoholic beverages among pregnant women, according to a study.
A study on alcohol consumption and tobacco exposure among pregnant women in Ibadan revealed that 52% and 12%, respectively, consumed palm wine and beer, which is high considering that there is no limit safe for alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
In a prospective cohort study, investigators investigated associations between maternal obesity, lifestyle characteristics, and perinatal outcomes, estimating the prevalence of pre-pregnancy alcohol use and alcohol use during pregnancy at 31. 7% and 12.7%, respectively. The 2022 study was conducted at BMC Psychiatry.
The prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy was higher in younger, single, and less educated women.
However, the prevalence of alcohol use was higher with increasing income, household wealth, and parity.
The study, part of the Ibadan Pregnancy Cohort Study (IbPCS), involved 1,745 pregnant women from the four comprehensive obstetric facilities in Ibadan.
These are University College Hospital, Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Jericho Specialist Hospital and Saint Mary Catholic Hospital, Ibadan, the main referral centers for obstetric conditions within the Ibadan metropolis.
These women were at least 18 years old, had no serious medical complications, and were at least 20 weeks pregnant at the time of enrollment. They were followed up until delivery.
At the time of enrollment, research personnel assessed their body mass index and lifestyle characteristics, including dietary patterns, physical activity, alcohol use, tobacco use during pregnancy, and eating patterns. sleep.
According to the study, Muslim women were less likely to consume alcohol during pregnancy compared to Christians and one in 27 pregnancies is exposed to tobacco. Additionally, pregnant women with a history of alcohol use were eleven times more likely to have consumed alcohol during pregnancy.
In contrast, smoking, secondhand smoke, and smokeless tobacco were 0.4, 1.7, and 1.8 percent, respectively, in the study population. Additionally, 1.9 percent reported having smoked cigarettes before pregnancy, which was the most significant predictor of tobacco exposure during pregnancy.
Additionally, women with a history of stillbirth (15.76 percent), induced abortion (24.91 percent), and tobacco exposure reported higher alcohol intake during pregnancy.
The researchers stated that alcohol use and tobacco exposure are not uncommon and have been a continuing but neglected threat to maternal and child health in Nigeria, and said that alcohol and tobacco control policies and programs to prevent use among pregnant and reproductive age women in Nigeria should be implemented primarily during antenatal care.
Alcohol use and tobacco exposure during pregnancy are highly harmful behaviors that have many detrimental effects, including adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm, and small-for-age delivery.
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