Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Alcohol Use During Pregnancy
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Why Is This Important?
There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are considered to be the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and other birth defects.^[https://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/maternalchild/sidsfasd/fasd/ 1]^ There is no cure for FASDs.^[https://www.cdc.gov/fasd/treatment/index.html 2]^
Definition
Percentage of live births to mothers who reported use of alcohol during their most recent pregnancy
Data Source
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, Division of Family Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health(https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/maternalchild/mchepi/prams/)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of live births to mothers who reported use of alcohol during their most recent pregnancy |
| Denominator: | Total number of live births to mothers who responded to the survey (PRAMS) |
How Are We Doing?
The Healthy New Jersey 2020 target was met by Hispanic and Black mothers, however, due to the extremely small sample size used in the PRAMS survey, the results are not statistically reliable.
What Is Being Done?
The New Jersey Department of Health is committed to addressing perinatal addiction and provides support to a system of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) risk reduction and perinatal addiction services. These risk reduction services include referral for treatment and education.
Available Services
NJDOH Reproductive and Perinatal Health Services: 609-292-5616
More Resources
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs): [https://www.cdc.gov/fasd/index.html]
Footnote References
1. NJDOH, [https://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/maternalchild/sidsfasd/fasd/ Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders] 2. CDC, [https://www.cdc.gov/fasd/treatment/index.html Treatment of FASDs], 5/15/24