Changes in alcohol consumption during pregnancy and over the transition towards parenthood

Objective: To examine pre- to postnatal changes in drinking for women and men and assess the role of education level in these changes. Background: The transition towards parenthood can contribute to significant shifts in alcohol consumption for women and men. Research has generally focused on pregnancy and short-term changes following childbirth, usually for mothers only. Socio-economic variation in the impact of childbirth and return to drinking postnatally is similarly understudied. Method: Longitudinal alcohol consumption data for 2470 individuals (1248 female) who were pregnant, or the partner of a pregnant woman, were obtained from a representative, Australian survey for three years prior and following birth. Piecewise regression models, including an education-x-time interaction, assessed changes in drinking quantity and frequency. Results: Female usual quantity and frequency significantly declined during pregnancy, followed by significant postnatal increases in quantity, approaching pre-pregnancy levels, with similar trends across education levels. Male usual quantity increased following childbirth, save for those men with a high-school education. Having an undergraduate degree was associated with a significant postnatal increase in drinking frequency. Conclusion: Further awareness of the risks associated with male-partner drinking could provide substantial public health benefits. Successful facilitation and implementation of interventions and harm reduction strategies for harmful drinking over the pre- to postnatal period could benefit from further consideration of socioeconomic status and education level, particularly for men.