Alcohol and Pregnancy in the United States
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- According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS)—a survey of more than 400,000 people by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—during 2018–2020, nearly 14% of pregnant women ages 18 to 49 reported current drinking.1
- Also according to BRFSS, during 2018–2020, about 5% of pregnant women ages 18 to 49 reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.1
- According to 2023 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)—a survey of more than 67,000 people by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—8.4% of pregnant women ages 15 to 44 in the United States used alcohol in the past month.2
- The 2023 NSDUH also found that 4.8% of pregnant women ages 15 to 44 in the United States reported binge drinking in the past month.2
- A study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of more than 6,000 children in first grade across four U.S. communities estimated that as many as 1% to 5% of first-grade children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.3
According to SAMHSA, many (but not all) NSDUH estimates from 2023 are comparable with 2022 and updated 2021 estimates. However, 2021–2023 estimates are not comparable with 2020 or prior years' estimates. Please see the 2023 NSDUH Frequently Asked Questions and section 2.3.4 of the 2023 Methodological Summary and Definitions report for more details.