A new study published in JAMA found that alcohol use during pregnancy increased in the United States between 2011 and 2024, including drinking patterns considered higher risk. By the end of the study period, 4.6 per cent reported binge drinking and two per cent reported heavy drinking. The study was not designed to determine why alcohol use increased, and it cannot prove that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the change. In comparison, tobacco use was reported by 31 per cent of pregnant participants who drank alcohol but did not report those higher-risk patterns. Alcohol exposure can increase the risk of pregnancy complications and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, although not every pregnancy exposed to alcohol will be affected in the same way.