Recent data released on Thursday indicates an increase in alcohol consumption during pregnancy in recent years.
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 15% of pregnant women reported drinking alcohol in the previous 30 days between 2021 and 2024, compared to about 13.5% between 2018 and 2020.
Although these statistics may not fully capture current trends, they highlight a persistent health issue that experts believe is often overlooked, as drinking during pregnancy is frequently regarded as an outdated concern.
The report’s authors emphasized, “Alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains a public health concern. Both clinical and community interventions might help.”
The study found that pregnant women who were unmarried or frequently experienced mental distress were more than twice as likely to engage in binge or heavy drinking compared to their peers without these characteristics. Binge drinking for women is defined as consuming four or more drinks within two hours, while heavy drinking is classified as having four or more drinks on any given day.
Recent reports from STAT have explored shifting attitudes toward alcohol use during pregnancy in the U.S., noting that some healthcare workers have adopted a more lenient approach. These reports also highlight that women’s issues with alcohol often go unaddressed, particularly during pregnancy, where interventions are notably scarce.
Studies suggest that healthcare providers are often reluctant to refer pregnant patients to substance use disorder treatment or prescribe medications to help reduce alcohol consumption. This hesitancy is partly because pregnant women are typically excluded from clinical trials.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a significant concern due to ethanol’s known potential to cause birth defects. It can impact almost every stage of fetal development and is a leading cause of intellectual disabilities in the U.S. Federal estimates indicate that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders might be more prevalent than autism.
All major guidelines advise that no amount of alcohol is considered safe for a developing fetus. Therefore, women are encouraged to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. The CDC also recommends that those who might become pregnant or are trying to conceive should refrain from drinking.
A recent STAT analysis of raw CDC data revealed a slight decrease in alcohol use during pregnancy in 2024, marking the first decline in years. However, CDC’s consolidated data did not report this one-year change, leaving it unclear whether the decrease is temporary or indicates a sustained trend.
While alcohol consumption surged across the U.S. during the Covid pandemic, it has shown some decline recently. However, alcohol-related harms have largely not reverted to pre-pandemic levels.
The latest CDC data should be viewed in context. People generally tend to underestimate their alcohol consumption, potentially skewing survey results. Additionally, some surveyed women might have consumed alcohol before realizing they were pregnant, and the survey did not inquire about the trimester of pregnancy.
Routine screening for alcohol use and mental health conditions during pregnancy could help mitigate alcohol consumption, according to the CDC report’s authors. Measures like warning signs at points of sale or alcohol sales taxes could also be effective.
The U.S. has been slower than peer nations in adopting strategies to reduce drinking rates. State-level efforts to increase alcohol taxes are frequently rejected. Although alcohol screening is common in primary care, its depth and quality vary significantly. Studies have found that most individuals who engage in problematic drinking do not receive counseling or other interventions from healthcare providers.
STAT’s reporting also revealed that Trump administration officials have hindered efforts to track alcohol use during and after pregnancy. Researchers relying on the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) report not receiving updates on the tool for months, with cuts to CDC staff managing the system leaving it in a state of uncertainty.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not released the most recent data from 2023, which includes measures of alcohol use during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Researchers are advised to contact individual states to access the data, according to the federal PRAMS website.
STAT’s coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supporters are not involved in any decisions about our journalism.
