8% of Pregnant Americans Booze

And of those, 20% went on at least one binge: survey
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 19, 2012 12:59 PM CDT
8% of Pregnant Americans Booze
About 8% of pregnant American women reported drinking the last month.   (?Illusive Photography)

Pregnant Americans are mostly a teetotaling bunch, according to a new government survey. The CDC spoke with 14,000 pregnant women who were asked whether they drank alcohol in the previous month and how much, and one in 13 reported doing so. The more troubling stat: Of those who said they drank, nearly 20% said they went on at least one binge, defined as downing four or more drinks. Pregnant women ages 35 to 44 were the biggest drinkers.

But there is some binge-drinking-related good news. Fewer pregnant women are doing it compared to a similar study done in the early 2000s. The CDC says drinking, especially binge drinking, can damage fetal brain development (More pregnancy stories.)

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