Alcohol Dependence Among Women Linked To Delayed Childbearing

Alcohol use during the teen years can not only lead to subsequent alcohol problems, it can also lead to risky sexual behavior and a greater risk of early childbearing.

An examination of the relationship between a lifetime history of alcohol dependence (AD) and timing of first childbirth across reproductive development has found that AD in women is associated with delayed reproduction.

“Reproductive dysfunctions include a range of menstrual disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and pregnancy complications that include spontaneous abortion or miscarriage,” explained Mary Waldron, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and corresponding author for the study.

“Teenagers who drink tend to have disruptions in their menstrual cycle as well as unplanned pregnancies.”

These complications may become more pronounced with time, added Sharon C. Wilsnack, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the department of clinical neuroscience at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

“Higher rates of reproductive dysfunction in adult women may reflect the cumulative effects of longer exposure to alcohol for older women than for female adolescents,” she said.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine alcohol’s effects on reproductive onset across reproductive development,” said Waldron. “Most previous research has examined risks to teens or adults but not both.

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