Only a third of pregnant women in Switzerland stop drinking: survey

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women give up alcohol completely, but only a third do so.

Women tend to drink much less during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a survey by the non-governmental group Addiction Switzerland for the health office.

Yet one in six women drink alcohol at least once a week, Addiction Switzerland spokesman Markus Meury told Swiss public television SRF earlier this week.

"There is around 6 percent of pregnant or breastfeeding women in Switzerland who are drinking four or more glasses of alcohol on one occasion at least once a month," Meury said.

"This means really drinking too much. And this is probably the highest risk to the child," he observed.

Only one in three did not drink alcohol at all, which is what the Federal public health office recommends.

The latest addiction monitoring report was based on interviews that took place from 2011-2016.

Until recently, moderate drinking such as the occasional glass of wine or beer was not considered harmful to an unborn or newborn child.

"The latest studies have put this in doubt," Meury said. "Nowadays we reckon that around 2 percent of newborns in Switzerland are born with alcohol use disorders."

As Sunday is International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Day, Addiction Switzerland is using it to raise awareness of the risks linked to drinking during pregnancy, the Swiss News Agency, SDA-ATS reported.

FAS can cause brain damage and growth problems it says.

Meury said that moving in social circles that don't encourage drinking is vital for expectant mothers and that doctors should better explain the risks linked to alcohol to their patients.

Thomas Eggimann, a board member of the Swiss Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics, told SRF that Swiss gynecologists are currently revising their strategy on the issue.

He said more consideration should be given to prevention work relating to the alcohol consumption by mothers-to-be.