Most Americans know that it’s important for someone to take care of their health before getting pregnant and during pregnancy to increase their chance of having a healthy baby. Many people know, for instance, that smoking or drinking alcohol can have detrimental effects during pregnancy, increasing the likelihood that a baby is delivered early, is underweight, or has birth defects.
But many people are unsure of other consequential knowledge that affects having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, according to an Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey. The maternal health survey, conducted with a sample of more than 1,600 U.S. empaneled adults from April 15–28, 2025, finds that most people are uncertain about which vaccinations are safe and recommended for pregnant people by medical professionals and what the appropriate pregnancy weight gain is for a healthy person.
The following findings for adults 18 and older also highlight responses from the subset of survey respondents who are women of childbearing age, 18–49 years old, when their responses differ significantly from the overall public. (See the topline.)
“Because those around us influence our health decisions, persons of childbearing age and their families and friends should know the risks of smoking and alcohol use before, during, and after pregnancy and which vaccines should and should not be taken during pregnancy,” said Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the policy center’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute.
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s April 2025 health survey finds that:
- Most U.S. adults know some of the factors that contribute to a healthy pregnancy, but there are gaps in their knowledge—for example, many don’t know that iron supplements are required only for people with anemia or what a normal weight gain during pregnancy is. Nearly a quarter of the population does not know that untreated high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke among pregnant people.
- There’s uncertainty about which vaccinations medical professionals recommend as safe for pregnant people—and fewer people know today which are recommended, compared with a year ago. Knowledge of which vaccines are recommended ranges from about a third of the public to over half. Just 11% of the public knows the measles vaccine is not recommended for pregnant people.
How to have a healthy pregnancy and infant
The vast majority of survey respondents are knowledgeable about consequential behaviors and medical conditions before and during pregnancy, including doctors’ recommendations about taking medication and supplements.
What most people get right about pregnancy health:
- Health during pregnancy: Nearly everyone (91%) knows that how well someone takes care of their health during pregnancy affects their baby’s health.
- Health before becoming pregnant: Nearly as many survey respondents (86%) know that how well a person takes care of their health before getting pregnant affects the health of their baby. But among women 18–49 years old, fewer (75%) get this right, a drop from 86% in 2023.
- Diabetes: 80% say correctly that pregnant individuals should be tested for diabetes.
- High blood pressure: Nearly three-quarters (73%) correctly say that untreated high blood pressure increases the likelihood that a pregnant person will have a stroke. Nearly a quarter (23%) are not sure if this is true.
- Folic acid: 71% know that people who are or may become pregnant should take a daily vitamin containing folic acid, a B vitamin. This dropped from 76% in 2023.
- Natural immunity: 69% know that it’s false to say that because babies are born with natural immunity, they don’t need to be vaccinated against an illness until they’re likely to be exposed to it. But 15% incorrectly think this is true and 16% are not sure.
When asked to consider which of several statements is more accurate:
- Taking medications: 87% of respondents say correctly that if someone finds out they’re pregnant, they should talk with their doctor before stopping or starting any medications. However, this is true only for 78% of women of childbearing age.
- Breastfeeding: Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) know that it’s more accurate to say that breastfeeding benefits both the baby and the parent than just the baby (12%), up from 71% when this question was asked in 2023.
What more people need to know:
- Iron supplements are needed for those who are anemic: When asked what comes closer to the recommendation made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding taking an iron supplement during pregnancy, less than half of respondents (42%) know that the recommendation that people who are pregnant should take an iron supplement if their health care provider finds that they’re anemic is closer to what the CDC recommends. About a fifth (19%) think that those who are pregnant should take an iron supplement every day. Another 39% are not sure which comes closest to what the CDC recommends.
- Normal weight gain during pregnancy: The CDC recommends that a person of normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancy. Less than half of those surveyed (46%) say a person of normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 lbs.—as compared with the 25% who say a person of normal weight should gain 5 to 10 lbs. during pregnancy, and 25% who are not sure.
Smoking, drinking, and pregnancy
In questions on the effects of smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, the survey finds that most people understand the negative impacts and how they can be avoided.
Avoiding negative impacts:
- Birth defects: 82% know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the baby will have birth defects.
- Early delivery: 77% know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the baby will be born early, up from 72% when this was asked in 2023.
- SIDS: 56% know smoking in the home of a baby increases the chances that the baby will die from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. (See more of our previously released data on preventing SIDS.)
- Underweight: 81% know it’s more accurate to say that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the smoker’s baby will be underweight at birth (up from 76% in 2023), compared with the tiny numbers of those who say smoking will increase the chances a baby will be overweight (1%) or that it will have no effect (2%). Fifteen percent are not sure which is correct.
Not drinking alcohol is another way to avoid negative impacts—but women of childbearing age are less likely than other people (men and older women) to know that they should abstain from alcohol if they are seeking to get pregnant:
- Drinking alcohol: Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents say it’s more accurate to say that someone who wants to get pregnant should stop drinking both before and during pregnancy, which is what the CDC advises. However, nearly a quarter (23%) think it’s more accurate to say that someone seeking to get pregnant should stop drinking as soon as they learn they’re pregnant.
- Compared with the rest of the population, women 18–49 are significantly less likely to say that someone who wants to get pregnant should stop drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy (58% vs. 66%). In addition, the proportion of women 18–49 years old who think, incorrectly, that it’s more accurate to say drinking should stop as soon as they learn they are pregnant increased significantly to 25% from 17% in 2024.
- Drinking while pregnant: 84% know that it’s false to claim that drinking wine or beer while pregnant is safe.
Fewer know which vaccines medical professionals advise during pregnancy
Medical professionals recommend that most pregnant people take the following vaccines while they are pregnant if they have not yet taken these vaccines during their pregnancy: Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), seasonal flu, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). (See the CDC’s recommendations here.)
The survey finds a significant drop over the past year, since April 2024, in the numbers of people who know that medical professionals recommend these three vaccines for most pregnant people.
The measles vaccine (MMR) is not recommended but the survey finds that most people are unsure whether or not it is recommended.
This section presents results for the full adult sample and among women 18–49 years old. The women ages 18–49 are more knowledgeable that doctors recommend the Tdap vaccine (52%) than the rest of the population (31%). There are no statistically significant differences between this subgroup and the rest of the population in knowing that doctors recommend the other vaccines (flu and RSV) or knowing that doctors do not recommend the MMR vaccine, though women 18–49 are less uncertain about which vaccines are recommended than everyone else.
- Tdap: Just over a third of U.S. adults (37%) say medical professionals recommend that most people who are pregnant should take the Tdap vaccine, down from 43% in April 2024, and 57% are not sure. Among women of childbearing age (18–49 years old), over half (52%) say this is correct while 39% are not sure. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those not in this childbearing age group say they are not sure and just 31% say that Tdap is recommended to pregnant women by medical professionals.
- Flu: Over half of U.S. adults (55%) know that medical professionals recommend the flu vaccine for pregnant people, down from 60% in April 2024, while 39% are not sure. Women in the childbearing age group are less likely to say they are not sure about the flu vaccine recommendation than everyone else (32% vs. 42%).
- RSV: Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) know that the vaccine against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is recommended for pregnant people, down from 52% in April 2024, while an equal number (47%) are not sure. The proportion of women of childbearing age who correctly know this is recommended dropped 10 points to 52% from 62% in 2024.
- Measles: The measles or MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella), is not recommended during pregnancy because it is a live virus vaccine, according to the CDC. There is a great deal of public uncertainty about whether pregnant people should get a measles vaccine: only 11% correctly know that medical professionals do not recommend it for pregnant people. Nearly 3 in 10 adults (29%) say incorrectly that medical professionals do recommend it for people who are pregnant and 60% are not sure. Women of child-bearing age are less likely to say they are not sure (52%) when compared to the rest of the population (63%).
An APPC news release in May 2025 explored survey findings that the risks of measles during pregnancy are not widely understood.
Citation:
Public knowledge high on smoking and alcohol risks during pregnancy (2025, July 29)
retrieved 29 July 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-knowledge-high-alcohol-pregnancy.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Most Americans know that it’s important for someone to take care of their health before getting pregnant and during pregnancy to increase their chance of having a healthy baby. Many people know, for instance, that smoking or drinking alcohol can have detrimental effects during pregnancy, increasing the likelihood that a baby is delivered early, is underweight, or has birth defects.
But many people are unsure of other consequential knowledge that affects having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, according to an Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey. The maternal health survey, conducted with a sample of more than 1,600 U.S. empaneled adults from April 15–28, 2025, finds that most people are uncertain about which vaccinations are safe and recommended for pregnant people by medical professionals and what the appropriate pregnancy weight gain is for a healthy person.
The following findings for adults 18 and older also highlight responses from the subset of survey respondents who are women of childbearing age, 18–49 years old, when their responses differ significantly from the overall public. (See the topline.)
“Because those around us influence our health decisions, persons of childbearing age and their families and friends should know the risks of smoking and alcohol use before, during, and after pregnancy and which vaccines should and should not be taken during pregnancy,” said Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the policy center’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute.
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s April 2025 health survey finds that:
- Most U.S. adults know some of the factors that contribute to a healthy pregnancy, but there are gaps in their knowledge—for example, many don’t know that iron supplements are required only for people with anemia or what a normal weight gain during pregnancy is. Nearly a quarter of the population does not know that untreated high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke among pregnant people.
- There’s uncertainty about which vaccinations medical professionals recommend as safe for pregnant people—and fewer people know today which are recommended, compared with a year ago. Knowledge of which vaccines are recommended ranges from about a third of the public to over half. Just 11% of the public knows the measles vaccine is not recommended for pregnant people.
How to have a healthy pregnancy and infant
The vast majority of survey respondents are knowledgeable about consequential behaviors and medical conditions before and during pregnancy, including doctors’ recommendations about taking medication and supplements.
What most people get right about pregnancy health:
- Health during pregnancy: Nearly everyone (91%) knows that how well someone takes care of their health during pregnancy affects their baby’s health.
- Health before becoming pregnant: Nearly as many survey respondents (86%) know that how well a person takes care of their health before getting pregnant affects the health of their baby. But among women 18–49 years old, fewer (75%) get this right, a drop from 86% in 2023.
- Diabetes: 80% say correctly that pregnant individuals should be tested for diabetes.
- High blood pressure: Nearly three-quarters (73%) correctly say that untreated high blood pressure increases the likelihood that a pregnant person will have a stroke. Nearly a quarter (23%) are not sure if this is true.
- Folic acid: 71% know that people who are or may become pregnant should take a daily vitamin containing folic acid, a B vitamin. This dropped from 76% in 2023.
- Natural immunity: 69% know that it’s false to say that because babies are born with natural immunity, they don’t need to be vaccinated against an illness until they’re likely to be exposed to it. But 15% incorrectly think this is true and 16% are not sure.
When asked to consider which of several statements is more accurate:
- Taking medications: 87% of respondents say correctly that if someone finds out they’re pregnant, they should talk with their doctor before stopping or starting any medications. However, this is true only for 78% of women of childbearing age.
- Breastfeeding: Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) know that it’s more accurate to say that breastfeeding benefits both the baby and the parent than just the baby (12%), up from 71% when this question was asked in 2023.
What more people need to know:
- Iron supplements are needed for those who are anemic: When asked what comes closer to the recommendation made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding taking an iron supplement during pregnancy, less than half of respondents (42%) know that the recommendation that people who are pregnant should take an iron supplement if their health care provider finds that they’re anemic is closer to what the CDC recommends. About a fifth (19%) think that those who are pregnant should take an iron supplement every day. Another 39% are not sure which comes closest to what the CDC recommends.
- Normal weight gain during pregnancy: The CDC recommends that a person of normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancy. Less than half of those surveyed (46%) say a person of normal weight should gain between 25 and 35 lbs.—as compared with the 25% who say a person of normal weight should gain 5 to 10 lbs. during pregnancy, and 25% who are not sure.
Smoking, drinking, and pregnancy
In questions on the effects of smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, the survey finds that most people understand the negative impacts and how they can be avoided.
Avoiding negative impacts:
- Birth defects: 82% know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the baby will have birth defects.
- Early delivery: 77% know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the baby will be born early, up from 72% when this was asked in 2023.
- SIDS: 56% know smoking in the home of a baby increases the chances that the baby will die from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. (See more of our previously released data on preventing SIDS.)
- Underweight: 81% know it’s more accurate to say that smoking during pregnancy increases the chances that the smoker’s baby will be underweight at birth (up from 76% in 2023), compared with the tiny numbers of those who say smoking will increase the chances a baby will be overweight (1%) or that it will have no effect (2%). Fifteen percent are not sure which is correct.
Not drinking alcohol is another way to avoid negative impacts—but women of childbearing age are less likely than other people (men and older women) to know that they should abstain from alcohol if they are seeking to get pregnant:
- Drinking alcohol: Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents say it’s more accurate to say that someone who wants to get pregnant should stop drinking both before and during pregnancy, which is what the CDC advises. However, nearly a quarter (23%) think it’s more accurate to say that someone seeking to get pregnant should stop drinking as soon as they learn they’re pregnant.
- Compared with the rest of the population, women 18–49 are significantly less likely to say that someone who wants to get pregnant should stop drinking alcohol before and during pregnancy (58% vs. 66%). In addition, the proportion of women 18–49 years old who think, incorrectly, that it’s more accurate to say drinking should stop as soon as they learn they are pregnant increased significantly to 25% from 17% in 2024.
- Drinking while pregnant: 84% know that it’s false to claim that drinking wine or beer while pregnant is safe.
Fewer know which vaccines medical professionals advise during pregnancy
Medical professionals recommend that most pregnant people take the following vaccines while they are pregnant if they have not yet taken these vaccines during their pregnancy: Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), seasonal flu, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). (See the CDC’s recommendations here.)
The survey finds a significant drop over the past year, since April 2024, in the numbers of people who know that medical professionals recommend these three vaccines for most pregnant people.
The measles vaccine (MMR) is not recommended but the survey finds that most people are unsure whether or not it is recommended.
This section presents results for the full adult sample and among women 18–49 years old. The women ages 18–49 are more knowledgeable that doctors recommend the Tdap vaccine (52%) than the rest of the population (31%). There are no statistically significant differences between this subgroup and the rest of the population in knowing that doctors recommend the other vaccines (flu and RSV) or knowing that doctors do not recommend the MMR vaccine, though women 18–49 are less uncertain about which vaccines are recommended than everyone else.
- Tdap: Just over a third of U.S. adults (37%) say medical professionals recommend that most people who are pregnant should take the Tdap vaccine, down from 43% in April 2024, and 57% are not sure. Among women of childbearing age (18–49 years old), over half (52%) say this is correct while 39% are not sure. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those not in this childbearing age group say they are not sure and just 31% say that Tdap is recommended to pregnant women by medical professionals.
- Flu: Over half of U.S. adults (55%) know that medical professionals recommend the flu vaccine for pregnant people, down from 60% in April 2024, while 39% are not sure. Women in the childbearing age group are less likely to say they are not sure about the flu vaccine recommendation than everyone else (32% vs. 42%).
- RSV: Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) know that the vaccine against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is recommended for pregnant people, down from 52% in April 2024, while an equal number (47%) are not sure. The proportion of women of childbearing age who correctly know this is recommended dropped 10 points to 52% from 62% in 2024.
- Measles: The measles or MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella), is not recommended during pregnancy because it is a live virus vaccine, according to the CDC. There is a great deal of public uncertainty about whether pregnant people should get a measles vaccine: only 11% correctly know that medical professionals do not recommend it for pregnant people. Nearly 3 in 10 adults (29%) say incorrectly that medical professionals do recommend it for people who are pregnant and 60% are not sure. Women of child-bearing age are less likely to say they are not sure (52%) when compared to the rest of the population (63%).
An APPC news release in May 2025 explored survey findings that the risks of measles during pregnancy are not widely understood.
Citation:
Public knowledge high on smoking and alcohol risks during pregnancy (2025, July 29)
retrieved 29 July 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-knowledge-high-alcohol-pregnancy.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
