Approximately 18 percent of women in their first trimester of pregnancy used alcohol within the past month according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report showed that 6.6 percent of women in their first trimester of pregnancy engaged in binge drinking (i.e., drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion at least once in the past 30 days).
Women who drink alcohol while pregnant increase their infants’ risk of developing a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a group of conditions that can cause physical, behavioral and learning problems – some of which may have lifelong repercussions. Although there is no safe amount of alcohol for pregnant women to drink, they can lower the risk for their infants when they stop drinking alcohol immediately after finding out they are pregnant.
The report indicates that the level of alcohol use dropped sharply among pregnant woman in their second and third trimesters. The rate of past month alcohol use (i.e., at least one drink in the past 30 days) for women in the second trimester of pregnancy fell to 4.2 percent and among women in the third trimester dipped to 3.7 percent. By comparison, 55.5 percent of non-pregnant women aged 15 to 44 consumed alcohol in the past month. > > > > Read More
