Most women drink very little in pregnancy.
Plans to include pregnant women’s alcohol habits on their children’s medical records have been scrapped.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence made the proposal.
It wanted to include pregnant women’s alcohol consumption on their children’s records.
However, it will no longer go-ahead.
Pregnant women are said to be delighted by the news.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said the proposals were “unjustified and disproportionate”.
They said, “Most women report drinking very little alcohol in pregnancy if any at all.”
“The risk of harm from this is likely to be low.”
The recommendation was a “staggering level of interference in a woman’s privacy.”
Our full comment on NICE's decision to drop plans to record women’s alcohol consumption without consent on their child's medical records: https://t.co/PdvNbiCZKK pic.twitter.com/pmXqaOgLjR
— BPAS (@BPAS1968) March 16, 2022
The decision has been welcomed by the BPAS.
Chief executive Clare Murphy stated they welcome the decision to drop the proposals.
They said the measures had “no basis in evidence”.
They also were an “extraordinary infringement on women’s right to privacy”.
Instead of adding them to their children’s records, doctors will simply ask about their habits.
Doctors will just take note of their answers, but won’t disclose them.
The HSE says drinking during any stage of pregnancy poses risks.
Doctors advise all expectant mothers and women who are trying to conceive to stop consuming alcohol.
Women should not consume alcohol once they discover they are pregnant.
Drinking during pregnancy can cause damage to your baby’s brain and their body too.
This is because the alcohol passes from the mother’s blood into the baby’s blood through the placenta.
Cutting out drinking is not easy, but you can talk to your midwife, GP, or a local substance misuse service.
Remember there is a lot of support out there.
