Pregnant woman and GP alcohol brief intervention
This video demonstrates a brief alcohol intervention delivered in antenatal primary care with a pregnant patient experiencing stress, insomnia, and financial pressure. During a routine visit, the clinician explores coping strategies and gently asks about alcohol use. The patient reports drinking three to four cans of cider nightly to manage stress and help with sleep. Using a supportive, non-judgmental approach, the provider asks permission to discuss alcohol use in pregnancy and provides clear, evidence-based information about risks to the developing baby, including miscarriage, premature birth, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, physical abnormalities, and neurodevelopmental problems. The clinician also explains how alcohol can worsen mood, anxiety, and sleep, despite temporarily feeling like it helps. The conversation acknowledges the patient’s guilt and distress while reinforcing her previous success in abstaining during earlier pregnancies. Through motivational interviewing techniques, the provider explores reasons for change, identifies family supports (a concerned sister), and discusses practical coping alternatives to evening drinking. A referral to local alcohol counseling services is offered, along with close medical follow-up every two weeks. The video models how alcohol SBI can be integrated into prenatal care, combining clear medical advice that abstinence is safest during pregnancy with empathy, practical support planning, and referral to specialist services when needed.
