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Substance Abuse:  Alcohol

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Alcohol abuse affects women of all socioeconomic class. Roughly half of childbearing-age women admit to using alcohol, and 1 in 10 identify with binge drinking.

 

“Among 18-25-year-old women, 34% binge drink and 10% are heavy drinkers.” 1

 

It is also well documented that physicians do not screen women as effectively as they do men for the problem of alcohol abuse. Physician unfamiliarity with treatment resources is a major barrier to treatment of this serious medical condition.

 

 

Leading preventable cause of birth defects

 

“Prenatal alcohol use is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities.” 2 

 

The risks associated with drinking alcohol and pregnancy are well documented.

Fetal alcohol exposure is in fact associated with:

  • spontaneous abortion
  • pre and postnatal growth restriction birth defects
  • neurodevelopmental deficits

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the best known of these deficits, but there is a whole spectrum of related disorders. For more about this topic, consult:

 

  1. Substance abuse and mental health services administration. Results from the 2006 National survey on Drug Use and health: national findings [Internet]. Office of applied studies. NSDUH seriesH-32, DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4293. Rockville (MD): SAMHSA; 2007[cited 2009 Jul 20]; 282 p. Available from http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.pdf.
     

  2. Floyd RL, Jack BW, Cefalo R, et al. The clinical content of preconception care: alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug exposures. Am J of Obstet and Gynecol [Internet]. 2008 Dec [cited 2009 Jul 20]; Suppl 2:199(6):S333-9. Available from http://www.ajog.org/.