Ten Percent of Pregnant Women Drink Alcohol

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Ten Percent of Pregnant Women Drink Alcohol

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that ten percent of pregnant women drink alcohol. Even worse, 3.1 percent of pregnant women are participating in binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as consuming more than four alcohol beverages in a two hour time frame. Those who binge drank during pregnancy reportedly did so around four to five times per month. That is more than the non-pregnant woman who binge drinks, which usually occurs around three times per month.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is dangerous for the mother and the child. It can lead to the baby developing a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which affects between two and five percent of children. These disorders can be behavioral, physical or mental. The alcohol can also lead to bird defects, miscarriage and premature birth.

This data comes from a nationwide survey using the CDC’s Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. The women that participated in the study were between the ages of 18 and 44.