Alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy has remained unchanged

10 September 2026

In 2025, 47.9% of Dutch pregnant women consumed alcohol during the four weeks prior to conception. This is according to the 2025 Substance Use and Pregnancy Monitor from the Trimbos Institute. For this study, 1,588 young mothers completed a brief questionnaire at child health clinics.

Among the women who drank alcohol in the four weeks before pregnancy, 21.6% had consumed just a few sips, while 78.4% had consumed one glass or more. The percentage of women drinking alcohol before pregnancy has remained relatively stable in recent years, ranging between 42% and 48%.

The Monitor also reveals that 26.6% of women consumed alcohol during the period between conception and the moment they realized they were pregnant. This percentage has remained also fairly constant over the past few years.

Most pregnant women did not drink alcohol once they knew they were pregnant. That figure stood at 98.1% three years ago and 98.4% last year. However, by then it is already too late, says Eric Steegers, Professor of Social Obstetrics. "By the time they find out, they are already weeks—sometimes longer—into the pregnancy, and their child has been exposed to toxins." Steegers explains: "An embryo does not grow as well if the mother smokes or drinks during the first months of pregnancy. Metabolism is programmed differently, which increases the risk of health problems later in life. When we see these children again at age six, they are heavier on average and have higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels."

The Monitor also reveals that 26.5% of women who breastfed, consumed alcohol during the breastfeeding period. This usually involved just a few sips (42.5%) or a single glass at a time (53.8%), with the majority (64.7%) taking into account the timing between alcohol consumption and breastfeeding. In 2025, the percentage of women who drank while breastfeeding was higher than in 2023 (25.1%), but this difference is not statistically significant.

monitor-middelengebruik-en-zwangerschap-2025_2.pdf (4,26 MB)

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