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Maternal alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy

  • Chapter
Antenatal Care

Part of the book series: Midwifery Practice ((MIPRA))

Abstract

For centuries alcohol has been recommended for medicinal purposes by midwives, doctors and other health professionals. Indeed until quite recently alcohol was used in some places to treat premature labour (Lele 1982). To confuse the issue even more, it was also used to induce mid-trimester abortion (Gomel & Carpenter 1973). The scientific literature may be sparse but old wives’ tales are numerous on this subject. The notion that the cure for unwanted pregnancy is ‘a bottle of gin and a hot bath’ is still heard in some areas. This prescription is more likely to cause acute alcohol poisoning, even death.

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Authors
  1. Moira Plant
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southampton, UK

    Jo Alexander PhD RN RM MTD JBCNS (Lecturer in Midwifery) (Lecturer in Midwifery)

Copyright information

© 1990 Moira Plant

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Cite this chapter

Plant, M. (1990). Maternal alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy. In: Alexander, J., Levy, V., Roch, S. (eds) Antenatal Care. Midwifery Practice. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20974-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-20974-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-333-51369-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-20974-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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