Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Pregnancy Essay

Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Pregnancy - Essay Example In the interview, I verified that all the three women have limited knowledge of the effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on their unborn children. They had often ignored these facts. They further explained that drinking or smoking in small amounts would have no effect on the unborn child. Furthermore, Mary also was not aware of inhaling cigarette smoke from another person. She also did not tell her health care provider of smoking during the pregnancy for fear of intimidation. Betty was a recovering alcoholic addict. She quit drinking after she realized that she was three months pregnant. She joined numerous online women groups campaigning for sobriety during pregnancy. She also joined communal activities. The most interesting observation was that the three women were unaware of the effects of smoking on the physical and psychological well-being of their children in the future. The women also did not know that smoking might trigger sudden infant death syndrome while alcohol cons umption triggers the fetal alcohol syndrome. It was interesting that the women did not have such information that we had studied in class. However, the US government has invested heavily in ensuring that health care providers educate pregnant women during prenatal care visits. The women also informed me of the role of heredity, poor parenting and lack of social support services as key driving factors for smoking and drinking. Age also plays a significant role in determining tobacco use/drinking preference and cessation of the habit.