Yonsei Med J.  2008 Oct;49(5):705-713. 10.3349/ymj.2008.49.5.705.

Maternal and Neonatal Effects of Substance Abuse during Pregnancy: Our Ten-year Experience

• Vucinovic
• Roje D
• Vucinovic
• Capkun V
• Bucat M
• Banovic I

• KMID: 2158187
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2008.49.5.705

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess perinatal outcome of pregnancy burdened with maternal addiction in comparison with an unselected population from a European transition country.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data on pregnancies complicated by illicit drug abuse (n = 85) managed during a 10-year period (1997-2007) at Split University Hospital were analyzed. Data on the type of drug, course of gestation and labor, and on perinatal outcome were considered. Data on all non-dependence pregnancies recorded during the study period were used as a control group.
RESULTS
During the study period, there were 85 dependence-complicated pregnancies (0.2%). Use of heroin alone during pregnancy was recorded in 51 women (50%), methadone alone in 6 (7%), and a combination of heroin and methadone in 9 (11%). Premature delivery was significantly more common in the group of pregnant addicts (21% vs. 6%); 49% of pregnant addicts were carriers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 14% of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Neonatal abstinence syndrome developed in 61 infants (7%) born to addicted mothers. There were 4 cases (4.6%) of early neonatal death; 7 neonates had 5-minute Apgar score < or = 7 (8%); 29 neonates had low birth weight for age (33%); and 7 neonates had congenital anomalies (8%). The risk of various congenital anomalies was 3-fold in the group of children born to addicted mothers.
CONCLUSION
Addiction pregnancies present a small but high-risk group according to perinatal outcome. Appropriate obstetric and neonatal care can reduce the rate of complications in these pregnancies and improve perinatal outcome.

Keyword

Illicit drug; pregnancy outcome; neonatal outcome

MeSH Terms

Adult
Apgar Score
Birth Weight
Croatia/epidemiology
Female
Heroin/adverse effects
Heroin Dependence/*complications/drug therapy/epidemiology
Humans
Incidence
Infant Mortality
Infant, Newborn
*Maternal Exposure
Methadone/adverse effects/therapeutic use
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome/epidemiology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications/*chemically induced/epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology
*Pregnancy Outcome

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