Low-income pregnant Latinas drink despite universal alcohol-warnin...( n fact Latinas who were more knowledge...)

Chambers added that these findings suggest that universal education is not sufficiently effective in eliminating periconceptional alcohol consumption among these women. "Future studies might examine the most cost-effective and efficient methods of identifying risky drinkers among Latinas of reproductive age, and also test interventions tailored to Latinas who currently drink and who have the potential to become pregnant."

O'Connor concurs, and also adds that "we need to discuss the fact that rates of drinking have increased among pregnant women in general. We as researchers need to go beyond asking 'did they drink, or did they not drink?' and look at demographic and social/emotional variables as predictors. For example, we've looked at the effects of caregivers' advice to women to stop drinking on whether they actually stopped drinking, and what we found is that if the women are depressed, it doesn't matter what the doctor says. It's important to treat the depression first. Furthermore, caregivers need to talk to all woman of child-bearing age about the Surgeon General's message, that there is no safe limit including the adolescent who goes for their first OB-GYN appointment, a person who might be hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for depression, and college students."

O'Connor added that the time has also come for more research into legal and ethical issues related to addiction among pregnant women. "This is an area that people tend to shy away from because it's highly emotional and potentially volatile, yet it's important because so much of everything now is just opinion. I think it's important for researchers to demonstrate that women have better outcomes in a supportive, therapeutic treatment s
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14-Nov-2005