Md. Cornelius et al., DRINKING PATTERNS AND CORRELATES OF DRINKING AMONG PREGNANT TEENAGERS, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 17(2), 1993, pp. 290-294
Many adolescents drink, and the rate of teenage pregnancy is increasin
g, yet the effect of drinking among pregnant teenagers has received li
ttle attention. We present a description of the drinking patterns of 1
24 pregnant teenagers attending a prenatal clinic in Pittsburgh. Sixty
-nine percent of the women were African-American, and the average age
was 16 years (range 13-18 years). Eighty-two percent drank the year be
fore pregnancy, while 54%, 19%, and 15% drank during the first, second
, and third trimesters, respectively. All substance use decreased betw
een the first and third trimesters, with the exception of tobacco, whi
ch rose significantly. Binge drinking (5+ drinks/occasion) occurred in
31% of the sample before pregnancy, rose to 35% in the first trimeste
r, and then fell precipitously. Binge drinkers during pregnancy were m
ore likely to be white and heavier users of tobacco, marijuana, and co
caine. Binge drinkers experienced alcohol and tobacco use and sexual i
ntercourse earlier than nonbinge drinkers. Binge drinking in the first
trimester may be considered a risk factor for infants of adolescents.