Abstract Background and Aims Alcohol use during pregnancy and breastfeeding can have adverse consequences for child development, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). This study investigated the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy and breastfeeding and its associations with current substance use behaviors and beliefs about the safety of alcohol use in pregnancy. Methods This cross-sectional study used pooled data from the 2018–2020 CAMH Monitor Survey, a population-based survey of adults in Ontario (N = 5957). Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to examine associations between maternal alcohol use and sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, and beliefs. Results Of parous women (n = 1512; mean age: 65 years), 14.7% reported drinking alcohol during their most recent pregnancy (30 years prior, on average) and 17.8% while breastfeeding. Alcohol use during pregnancy was associated with lifetime substance use, current tobacco and alcohol use, and misconceptions about alcohol use in pregnancy. Gender differences emerged in beliefs: while awareness of FASD was relatively high among both women (87.2%) and men (80.6%), men were more likely than women to hold inaccurate beliefs, including that small amounts or certain types of alcohol may be safe during pregnancy. Men and women who were current drinkers of alcohol were significantly more likely to endorse these misconceptions. Conclusions Public health messaging and maternal alcohol use prevention strategies must address persistent misconceptions about alcohol use in pregnancy and engage not only women and expectant mothers, but also men, partners, and broader social networks. Interventions should integrate education, universal screening, and trauma-informed care.
Dozet et al. (Wed,) studied this question.