ROCKVILLE, Md., June 1 (UPI) -- The results of a survey conducted by a U.S. agency suggest 19 percent of pregnant women consume alcohol during the first trimester of their pregnancy.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey of Drug Use and Health also indicated the percentage of women consuming alcohol during pregnancy declined as their delivery date approached, USA Today reported Monday.
The survey found that while 19 percent of pregnant women consumed alcohol during their first trimester, only 7.8 percent drank during their second trimester and that number fell to 6.2 percent for the third.
The agency cited a 15-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found 10 percent of new mothers surveyed began binge drinking after giving birth. Binge drinking is classified as more than five alcoholic drinks in a period of several hours.
The results of the CDC study also indicate 3.8 percent of new mothers use marijuana following the birth of their child, while 20.4 percent smoke cigarettes.
The substance abuse findings were based on self-reports from 68,000 women that occurred between 2002 and 2007. No margin of error was reported.
