Authors:
O'Leary CM, Elliott EJ, Nassar N, Bower C
Authors notes:
Birth Defects Research Part A - Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2013;97(7):497-504
Keywords:
Alcohol abuse, Alcohol and pregnancy, Birth defects, Cohort, Congenital anomalies, Data linkage, Epidemiology
Abstract:
This study explores the potential of data linkage to investigate the proportion of birth defects classified as alcohol-related (ARBD) by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) that are attributable to maternal alcohol-use disorder.
There was a significant association between maternal alcohol-related diagnoses recorded during pregnancy and ARBD, with an attributable fraction of 0.57%.
"Any" maternal alcohol diagnosis demonstrated a higher attributable fraction for ARBD, with the highest attributable fractions for microcephaly, ptosis, atrial septal defect, and conotruncal heart defects.
Research using linked, population-based administrative health data has the potential to advance knowledge of ARBD.
Routine collection and recording of alcohol use during pregnancy for all pregnant women is required and would enhance this methodology.