Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41317082›Full record

ArticleAlcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)2025

Mandatory warning signs for alcohol use during pregnancy and birth and infant outcomes in southern United States: a quasi-experimental study.

Sarah C M Roberts, Alex Schulte, Sarah Raifman, Guodong Liu, Claudia Zaugg, Meenakshi S Subbaraman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sarah C M RobertsUniversity of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, United States.
Alex SchulteUniversity of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, United States.
Sarah RaifmanUniversity of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, United States.
Guodong LiuPenn State College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033.
Claudia ZauggUniversity of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612, United States.
Meenakshi S SubbaramanBehavioral Health and Recovery Studies, Public Health Institute, 555 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94607.ORCID 0000-0002-1336-7552

Funding

Alcohol and pregnancy: do state-level punitive and supportive policies matter?R01AA023267 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI ROBERTS, SARAH C.M. · 2015 to 2025
$3.5M
Computational Social Science Training ProgramT32HD101364 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI Jennifer Ahern, PATRICK T BRADSHAW · 2020 to 2026
$1.7M
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA023267NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD101364
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPolicies mandating posting of signs warning of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy (MWS-alcohol-pregnancy) are common in the United States Previous research suggests these policies are ineffective and relate to increased adverse infant and maternal outcomes. Research about MWS-alcohol-pregnancy using quasi-experiments is needed. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis study uses Vital Statistics birth certificate data and commercial insurance claims data from Merative MarketScan® and policy data from NIAAA's Alcohol Policy Information System. We systematically selected a treatment (Texas) and comparison (Florida) state for a quasi-experimental examination of effects of an MWS-alcohol-pregnancy policy going into effect in 2007. Difference-in-difference models compared changes in birthweight, low-birthweight, and infant injuries consistent with maltreatment from pre- to post-policy change between the treatment and comparison state.

resultsMean birthweight decreased 4.06 g more from pre- to post-periods in the treatment as compared to the comparison (average treatment effect on the treated [ATET] -4.06, 95% CI -7.02, -1.09) state. The difference in the pre- to post-policy change in low-birthweight in the treatment relative to the comparison state was not statistically significant (ATET .0 pp, 95% CI -.0, .0). The pre- to post-policy change in infant maltreatment was .5 percentage points greater in the treatment relative to the comparison state (ATET .5 pp, 95% CI .2, .8).

conclusionsThe MWS-alcohol-pregnancy policy was associated with lower birthweight and more infant maltreatment. This study provides further evidence that MWS-alcohol-pregnancy policies are mostly ineffective and possibly harmful.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingPregnancy OutcomeAdultBirth WeightFemaleHumansInfant, Low Birth WeightInfant, NewbornPregnancyUnited StatesYoung Adultalcohol usealcohol warning sign policyinfant outcomespregnancyquasi-experimental study

Identifiers

PMID41317082
PMCPMC12990223

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.