The relationship between alcohol use in pregnancy and later use of alcohol during middle age

Introduction: Despite extensive research into alcohol use by pregnant women, few studies have explored the relationship between drinking during pregnancy and subsequent maternal alcohol use in middle age. Pregnancy is typically a time when women access health services and it is an opportunity to provide information and advice about alcohol use. This study aimed to examine the relationship women’s current alcohol use and their alcohol use during pregnancy. It was hypothesized that women who drank alcohol during pregnancy would have a higher current alcohol consumption and related problems than women who did not drink during pregnancy. The relationships between advice received about drinking in pregnancy and subsequent drinking, and beliefs about safe levels of alcohol use during pregnancy were also explored. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data was collected from 305 women aged 40-60 years. ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate the hypotheses. Results: Women who drank alcohol in pregnancy had higher subsequent levels of consumption and harmful use than women who abstained during pregnancy. Women who believed that some level of alcohol use during pregnancy was safe had higher total AUDIT scores (a measure of hazardous and harmful drinking) than women who thought no amount was safe. Discussion and conclusions: This study highlights the long-term relationship between pregnancy drinking and drinking in middle age. These results provide support for the notion that the prenatal period provides an opportunity for detection of women who may be more likely to experience alcohol related issues in later life. This may assist in targeting public health strategies which seek to address problematic alcohol use in middle aged women through intervention in the prenatal period.