Overview
- A Columbia Mailman analysis published in JAMA in July 2026 found past-month alcohol use among pregnant women climbed from about 9% in 2011–2012 to a peak near 15% in 2021–2022 and remained at roughly 14.5% in 2023–2024.
- Higher-risk drinking also increased, with binge drinking reaching about 4.6% and heavy drinking about 2.0% by 2023–2024 according to the study's estimates.
- The study used self-reported data from 33,729 pregnant respondents to the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and applied statistical models showing each successive two‑year period carried higher odds of drinking.
- Researchers found a strong overlap between alcohol and tobacco use: 68% of pregnant women who reported binge or heavy drinking also reported tobacco use, a pattern that may raise risks for miscarriage, preterm birth, and lifelong neurodevelopmental harm.
- Authors and public health officials say the findings — which update national estimates beyond 2020 — point to a need for stronger screening, integrated smoking-cessation support, and clearer prevention messaging because no amount of alcohol is known to be safe in pregnancy.