According to the research, 60.4% of Irish women continue to drink when they are expecting a baby, amounting to six times the global average of one in 10.
The next highest rate of drinking after Ireland was to be found in Belarus, where 46.6% of women admitted drinking. Denmark came third with 45.8% of pregnant women opting for alcohol. The UK was the fourth worst offender on 41.3%. In fifth place was Russia, where 36.5% of women admitted to drinking.
Health guidelines advise women to avoid alcohol completely while pregnant, as it can cause neurological damage to a baby’s developing brain leading to behavioural, social, learning, and attention difficulties in childhood, adolescence, and in later life.
Source: Claire O'Sullivan, The Irish Examiner, 17/01/17