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Alcohol use before and during pregnancy. PRAMS Working Group
F C Bruce1, M M Adams, H B Shulman
1Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|September 1, 1993
Summary
Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is low, but drinking before conception is significantly higher. This highlights a critical need for interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use prior to pregnancy to prevent fetal abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Reproductive Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a known cause of offspring developmental abnormalities.
- Population-based data on maternal drinking behaviors remain limited, necessitating further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the prevalence and patterns of alcohol consumption among mothers in four US states.
- To identify drinking behaviors during late pregnancy and the period preceding conception.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of self-reported data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Systems (PRAMS) in Maine, Michigan, Oklahoma, and West Virginia (1988-1989).
- Survey of 6,319 mothers 2-6 months postpartum, with statistical weighting to estimate state-specific prevalences.
- Categorization of drinking levels: light (1-6 drinks/week), moderate (7-13 drinks/week), and heavy (≥14 drinks/week).
Main Results:
- Low prevalence of alcohol consumption during the last trimester of pregnancy: light (6.8%-15.1%), moderate (0.06%-0.30%), and heavy (0.03%-0.13%).
- Significantly higher prevalence of drinking in the three months before pregnancy: light (31.9%-53.8%), moderate (1.6%-3.0%), and heavy (0.6%-1.3%).
- Prenatal counseling on alcohol's effects was received by 66.3%-75.0% of mothers, with heavy drinkers more likely to receive it than light drinkers.
Conclusions:
- Moderate and heavy alcohol consumption during late pregnancy is uncommon.
- Alcohol consumption at all levels is substantially higher in the period preceding pregnancy.
- Findings underscore the importance of research into strategies for reducing alcohol consumption before pregnancy.