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IRELAND HAS THE highest rates of drinking before and during pregnancy in a new study of almost 18,000 women.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal Open shows that Ireland has higher rates of drinking before (90%) and during (82%) pregnancy among ourselves, Australia, the UK and New Zealand.
Added to that, Ireland has the highest rate of binge drinking before (59%) and during (45%) during pregnancy, based on analysis of three studies.
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But the exact prevalence could be far lower than that as estimates of drinking during pregnancy from two other studies were substantially lower (20-46%), with only 3% of women reporting binge drinking in one, the researchers are cautioning.
Researchers across the four countries based their findings on an analysis of data from three studies: The Growing up in Ireland (GUI) study; the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study; and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).
Between 15% and 70% of the women said that they had drunk 1-2 units a week during the first three months (trimester) of their pregnancy. But the number of reported units dropped substantially in all countries between the first and second trimester, as did binge drinking.
The researchers point out that most clinical and government guidelines advise women to stop drinking during pregnancy.
But they write: “Alcohol use during pregnancy is highly prevalent, and evidence from this cross-cohort and cross-country comparison shows that gestational alcohol exposure may occur in over 75% of pregnancies in the UK and Ireland.”
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@Ann Nugent: UN designated terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a rebranded version of the Al Qeada affiliate al-Nusra Front, controls the towns and villages around the crossing, they tax cross border trade. The only route in an out of Rebel held Idlib province.
“The most significant shift in HTS economic policy occurred in July 2017, when the group took over the Bab al-Hawa crossing, one of the biggest sources of revenue in NW Syria and a particularly strategic acquisition in terms of the relationship with Turkey.”
A later agreement turned over Bab al-Hawa crossing to civilian control but HTS still controls the towns and villages nearby, they will continue to tax cross-border trade. This is why Russia wanted the crossing closed.
Ah the UN great bunch of lads, they can get the USA and Russia to sort themselves out and work together, some job like. It’s a good record but I still think they’d struggle to sort out Clare hurling, but sure might be worth a go if they fancy a challenge, just add to the drama and dysfunction even more, I’ll go get the pop corn!
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