Over 1 in 8 U.S. Pregnant Women Report Alcohol Use, Raising Fetal Health Concerns

More than one in eight pregnant adults in the United States reported drinking in the past month, according to STAT's analysis of 2024 government data, making alcohol use more common than gestational diabetes.

Among those who drank, roughly a quarter said they consumed four or more drinks in a single occasion during the prior month, indicating binge drinking.

Doctors caution that prenatal alcohol exposure continues to be a major driver of disability, contributing to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and possibly outpacing autism as a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition.