Almost 60 percent of pregnant teens say they have used one or more substances in the past year, nearly double the rate of non-pregnant teens, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found.

Use of these substances continues during pregnancy, especially among younger teens, the study found. More than one-third of all pregnant teens ages 12 to 14 said they used one or more substances in the previous month, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Pregnant teens were most likely to use alcohol (16 percent), followed by marijuana (14 percent) and other illicit drugs (5 percent). The findings are published in Addictive Behaviors. The researchers found pregnant teens were less likely to use drugs or alcohol once they moved into their second or third trimester.

The study included data from 97,850 teen girls between ages 12 and 17. A total of 810 reported they were pregnant.

“To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date on the relationship between substance use and teen pregnancy,” study author Christopher Salas-Wright said in a news release. “Mothers’ substance use during pregnancy can have important consequences for the health and development of newborn babies. Despite efforts to prevent substance use among pregnant teens, our findings suggest that we still have a lot of work to do.”

The study found the risk of substance use was about 50 percent lower among pregnant teens who said they had parental support and limit-setting, as well as among those who had positive feelings about going to school. “This suggests that it makes sense to engage both parents and teachers in efforts to address substance use among pregnant teens,” said study co-author Michael G. Vaughn.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Add Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Keep Reading: Related Posts

How Employers Can Help With Our Mental Health Crisis And ‘Collective Trauma’
Jack Kelly Senior Contributor I write actionable interview, career and salary advice. For two years we’ve been subjected to fear, anxiety, isolation, powerlessness which all contributed to a crisis of...
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF ADDICTION RECOVERY
Recover Research Institute Science has come a long way in helping us understand the way the brain changes in addiction. In this section, we will provide updates of current research...
WHY DO SOME TEENS BECOME ADDICTED WHILE OTHERS DON’T?
Destinations For Teens Staff contribution The medical and mental health communities view addiction in teens as a chronic and relapsing disease of the brain that causes compulsive drug-seeking behaviors and...
Skip to content