By Kelly Young
NEJM Journal Watch
Edited by William E. Chavey, MD, MS
About 1 in 10 pregnant adolescents and women in the U.S. report recently drinking alcohol, according to an MMWR study.
Researchers surveyed roughly 3000 pregnant females aged 12 to 44 about their alcohol use. Overall, two thirds said they had consumed any alcohol in the past year, and 10% said they had done so in the past 30 days. Among those in their first trimester, 20% said they had used alcohol in the past 30 days, and 11% reported binge-drinking. Among those in their second or third trimester, these proportions fell to 5% and 1%, respectively.
Roughly 4% said they had used alcohol plus one other substance, usually tobacco or marijuana, in the past 30 days.