It’s Alcohol Awareness Month this month. So, many organizations are again reminding the public about the dangers of binge drinking, particularly for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. And the messaging seems to be paying off. According to the latest US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 10% of pregnant women between the ages of 15 and 44 report using alcohol, which is far less than the 54% of all nonpregnant women in the same age group who drink.

But even though the vast majority of expectant mothers choose to steer clear of alcohol, the same is not true when it comes to prescription medications. According to a study published yesterday in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, around half of all moms-to-be now take at least one medication.

The study, led by the director of Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center Allen Mitchell, looked at antenatal medication use among more than 30,000 women between 1976 and 2008. The authors found that first trimester drug use had increased by around 60% over the past three decades, with antidepressants accounting for the bulk of this rise and multi-drug use increasing even more dramatically.

The findings “reinforce the need for ongoing surveillance regarding medication use in pregnancy and its consequences,” Mitchell said in a press release.

Drug use among pregnant women is not just a concern in the US either. For example, a study published last month found that maternal medication use is widespread in Norway, and a recent West Indian study found that pregnant women in Trinidad take more than one prescription drug on average during the first and second trimesters.

Image by Arenamontanus via Flickr Creative Commons