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Alcohol use low in moms-to-be, higher after birth 

A new report provides both encouraging and discouraging data regarding the use of alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs by pregnant women and new mothers, according to a statement from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to national survey data, most women are paying attention to warnings about the dangers that substance use during pregnancy can pose to the developing fetus -- and are avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy.

However, many new mothers go back to alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs soon after they give birth.

"Alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drug use during pregnancy can cause poor pregnancy outcomes and early childhood behavioral and development problems, and use after pregnancy exposes children to a variety of negative effects. These problems can limit a child's potential, are costly and 100 percent preventable," said SAMHSA's Acting Administrator Eric Broderick. . . .

Effective interventions to reduce substance use during and after pregnancy could improve the health and well-being of infants and new mothers, the SAMHSA report concludes.

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