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More than 10% of women smoked throughout their pregnancy, a proportion that has remained stable for several years, and around 7%, fewer than before, consumed alcohol, according to a study published Monday by Public Health France.
In France, it is recommended not to consume alcohol or smoke during pregnancy, to avoid serious potential consequences for the health of the mother and the unborn child.
Of all mothers of children aged 5 or under in 2021, “13% of them say they smoked throughout their pregnancy“, estimates the study, which is based on data from the 2021 Public Health Barometer France.
Nearly a quarter of mothers of children aged 5 or under in 2021 were smoking when they found out they were pregnant.
Among them, 45% said they stopped as soon as they found out they were pregnant or during their pregnancy, 51% said they reduced the amount they smoked without stopping and 4% said they neither stopped nor reduced their consumption.
These proportions have not changed significantly compared to the 2017 estimates, the latest, the public agency observed.
For alcohol consumption during pregnancy, however, it appeared that “a downward trend compared to the 2017 situation“, according to the authors of the study.
More than nine out of ten mothers of a young child (93%) said in 2021 that they had never drunk alcohol during their last pregnancy after finding out they were pregnant, significantly more than in 2017 (88%).
“But 7% said they had drunk in 2021, even if only a few sips.” : 6% said they consumed alcohol only on special occasions and less than 1% more than once a month.
The survey that provided the data has limitations, acknowledged by the study’s authors: it is based on statements, potentially biased by a concern for “social desirability” on a “sensitive subject” or by imprecise memory.
And it does not target only pregnant women or mothers of young children, so estimates for this category are based on a small sample.
But the estimate of tobacco consumption during pregnancy is close to the results of another perinatal survey from 2021, that of alcohol consumption appearing slightly higher.
Faced with this observation, Public Health France judges “It is important to continue prevention efforts and to support women who may be struggling with substance use during pregnancy, because the number of women and children affected is far from insignificant.“.