A mother’s behaviour during pregnancy such as smoking, excess alcohol and poor diet can have harmful effects to both the mother and the baby. There is little information available in Ireland about the rates of these behaviours. The provision of health promotion (including advice and education) during pregnancy may encourage positive changes to improve health. Pregnant women are recommended to attend their first appointment in hospital before the 12th week of pregnancy. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) was set up in the United States to collect information from new mothers about their pregnancy and their baby. The information collected from mothers has been used to develop health policies and help doctors and nurses improve care.
PRAMS was set up in Ireland in the Cork University Maternity Hospital in 2012 to collect similar information from Irish women. This study will analyse data provided by women who participated in the PRAMS survey. It will provide valuable information on whether attending hospital before 12 weeks and/or health promotion provided during pregnancy can influence pregnant women to have more healthy lifestyles, such as lower rates of alcohol consumption, smoking cessation and improve diet.
