National Report Finds Low Levels of Substance Use among Pregnant Women, but Higher Levels in New Mothers

A new national report provides both encouraging and discouraging news about the use of substances by pregnant women and new mothers. Based on a nationwide survey, the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) suggests that most women are heeding warnings about the dangers that substance use during pregnancy can pose to fetuses and are abstaining -- especially in the latter stages of their pregnancies.

However, this report, as well as a new study published today by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that the number of women who drink alcohol while pregnant is disturbingly high, despite past Surgeon Generals’ warnings about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. According to a 15 year-study by the CDC, the number of women who drink alcohol while pregnant is not decreasing – with approximately 1 in 8 women drinking any amount of alcohol while pregnant.

In addition, the data from the SAMHSA report suggest that once they give birth, many new mothers resume the use of alcohol, cigarettes, illicit drugs or engage in binge drinking

Read Full Report (PDF)

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