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  All alcohol consumed by expectant mothers recorded, regardless of consent

  Posted by Sarah on 16 September 2020 at 12:48 pm

  The UK are proposing that all women who have only a single glass of wine in their first week of pregnancy will have it noted on their child’s medical records under proposals that have been condemned by charities.

  The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) wants all alcohol consumed by expectant mothers recorded, regardless of whether they consent. This would include women who have a drink before knowing that they are pregnant.

  The move has been described as an infringement of data privacy rights. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) and legal experts believe that it would breach the general data protection regulations (GDPR) and might be unenforceable.

  Nice says that identifying children at risk of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which can cause physical problems and issues with behaviour and learning, depends on an accurate recording of a mother’s drinking during pregnancy. It adds that transferring data on a mother’s drinking habits is especially important for children who have been adopted or placed into care.

  There is no consistent system in place to monitor drinking among pregnant women. Midwives ask about alcohol but it is not mandatory to record the information. Nice is proposing that women at antenatal appointments are always asked about the number and types of alcoholic drinks that they have consumed, as well as the pattern and frequency of drinking.

  The information would be noted in maternity records and later transferred to the child’s health records after birth.

  Bpas says that there is “no compelling research showing harm at lower levels of consumption” and these proposals would record all drinking, however limited, even if the woman did not yet know she was pregnant.

  One charity stated “We have serious concerns about Nice’s failure to recognise the need for informed consent to screening and transfer of information to the child’s health record. It is unacceptable to propose such measures without any assessment of the impact on women and pregnant people, and their relationships with healthcare providers.”

  The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it “shares some of the concerns raised by charities, including the definition of prenatal alcohol exposure and the proposal to transfer information from a woman’s health record to that of her child; and we will be responding to the consultation in due course.”

  The proposals, which are under consultation, are not mandatory but Nice guidelines are normally followed by GP’s and clinical commissioning groups. They would apply to England and Wales but are based on guidance published in Scotland last year and already followed there.

  Lawyers in the UK believe that they may be unenforceable.

  The UK state is trying to control all aspects of a persons life and this latest intrusion into our lives will not be tolerated. Do you think the state is becoming every more intrusive and controlling of our lives?

  

  Sarah replied 4 years, 10 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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