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Prevalence and Characteristics of Women at Risk for an Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancy (AEP) in the United States: Estimates from the National Survey of Family Growth

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Abstract

Non-pregnant women can avoid alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) by modifying drinking and/or contraceptive practices. The purpose of this study was to estimate the number and characteristics of women in the United States who are at risk of AEPs. We analyzed data from in-person interviews obtained from a national probability sample (i.e., the National Survey of Family Growth) of reproductive-aged women conducted from January 2002 to March 2003. To be at risk of AEP, a woman had to have met the following criteria in the last month: (1) was drinking; (2) had vaginal intercourse with a man; and (3) did not use contraception. During a 1-month period, nearly 2 million U.S. women were at risk of an AEP (95 % confidence interval 1,760,079–2,288,104), including more than 600,000 who were binge drinking. Thus, 3.4 %, or 1 in 30, of all non-pregnant women were at risk of an AEP. Most demographic and behavioral characteristics were not clearly associated with AEP risk. However, pregnancy intention was strongly associated with AEP risk (prevalence ratio = 12.0, P < 0.001) because women often continued to drink even after they stopped using contraception. Nearly 2 million U.S. women are at AEP risk and therefore at risk of having children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. For pregnant women and women intending a pregnancy, there is an urgent need for wider implementation of prevention programs and policy approaches that can reduce the risk for this serious public health problem.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Anjani Chandra and William D. Mosher and the NSFG Team for assistance with the NSFG data set.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Mailstop E-86, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Michael J. Cannon, Jing Guo, Clark H. Denny, Patricia P. Green, Heidi Miracle, Joseph E. Sniezek & R. Louise Floyd

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  1. Michael J. Cannon
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  2. Jing Guo
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  3. Clark H. Denny
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  4. Patricia P. Green
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  5. Heidi Miracle
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  6. Joseph E. Sniezek
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  7. R. Louise Floyd
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Correspondence to Michael J. Cannon.

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Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Cannon, M.J., Guo, J., Denny, C.H. et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Women at Risk for an Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancy (AEP) in the United States: Estimates from the National Survey of Family Growth. Matern Child Health J 19, 776–782 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-014-1563-3

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