A study by UW-Madison researchers showed almost half of women who have recently given birth in Wisconsin engage in excessive alcohol use, causing numerous problems for themselves and their children.
The study revealed 41.5 percent of women in the state consumed some alcohol in the post-pregnancy period. Almost 12 percent of women in the post pregnancy period engaged in binge drinking - defined in the study as four or more drinks in a single day at least once during a month.
Paul Moberg, senior scientist in the School of Medicine and Public Health, said he was not surprised by the results of the study.
Wisconsin has the highest binge drinking rate in the country for women of childbearing age, 18 to 44, this being one in five,"" Moberg said.
Georgiana Wilton, professor in the graduate student School of Medicine and Public Health, worked on the study and said she was not surprised by the results.
""We [Wisconsin] lead the nation in several indicators of alcohol usage during pregnancy. This is a huge problem in our state,"" she said.
The study said the most severe outcome of alcohol use during and after pregnancy is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, defined as deformed facial features, growth problems and brain disorders. FAS occurs in as many as one in 100 live births, the study said.
Though she has recently delivered a child, a mother may transmit alcohol through breast milk or even become pregnant during the post-pregnancy stage, endangering the subsequent child with the alcohol, according to Wilton.
According to the study, the women who engaged in excessive alcohol use were more at risk of having children with FAS.
""Because the likelihood of having a child with FAS increases with subsequent pregnancies, these women may be at particular risk for having a child with FAS,"" the study reported.
The home environment of the child and parenting abilities of the adult may also be affected by excessive alcohol use, she said.
Wilton said because 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned, alcohol use can also cause possible damage without the mother even knowing it.
Wilton and the study both said the alcohol related damages caused to women and the children are most often preventable. Both also said there is an urgent need for medical professionals to promote awareness and administer regular alcohol screenings on pregnant mothers' alcohol use.
