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Abstract
Background: While perinatal health professionals are pivotal in the prevention and reduction of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, some provide inconsistent recommendations and fail to engage in routine and effective alcohol use prevention strategies. This paper presents a systematic review of qualitative studies exploring the perception and practices of health professionals in relation to asking and advising pregnant women about alcohol consumption. Design: A systematic literature search for peer-reviewed primary studies in seven electronic databases, from inception to December 2022, and a hand search strategy were employed to conduct a qualitative synthesis, without language restriction. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. A thematic synthesis was employed to guide the synthesis of the data. Findings: The review included 24 studies, and three themes were generated from the analysis: advising and screening practices of health professionals, approach to risk and challenges. Discussion: The findings of this review demonstrate that healthcare professionals face clinical, relational and organisational challenges that may influence their commitment to addressing alcohol consumption among pregnant women. The health professionals’ approach to screening and advising is also shaped by their subjective perceptions of alcohol-related issues and of patients at risk. Key conclusions and implications for practice: Improving prevention practices requires developing continuing education on alcohol-related risks, providing tools for communicating in a sensitive and appropriate way, and making healthcare professionals aware of how their perceptions may influence their practices.