The Unspoken Message in Rising Pregnancy Drinking In recent years, a concerning trend has emerged: more pregnant women are drinking than ever before.
A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the proportion of pregnant women who reported drinking in the previous month rose from 9% in 2011 to nearly 15% in 2024 – a 59% increase.
Binge drinking among this demographic has risen by three quarters, and heavy drinking nearly tripled. The data suggests that the pandemic's loosening of social norms is not the primary driver of this trend.