NEWS: SMH - 6/07/2006 'Scale of pregnant drug use revealed'

Scale of pregnant drug use revealed
Julie Robotham Medical Editor
July 6, 2006

NEW strategies are needed to care for women who cannot control their cannabis or amphetamine habit during pregnancy, according to a Sydney researcher whose work has revealed the scale of the problem.

About one in 200 pregnant women in NSW admitted to being dependent on cannabis or were using it so heavily that their doctor noticed, according to the study by Lucy Burns of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, based at the University of NSW. Her study was based on the records of more than 400,000 births between 1998 and 2002.

The use of stimulant drugs, including methamphetamine, was lower than that of cannabis, but Dr Burns said this was likely to become a bigger problem as stimulant use rises in general.

The drug abuse documented in women's pregnancy records was likely to underestimate the problem, and women who used illicit drugs were less likely than others to seek pregnancy care.

"We don't engage them very well and we don't follow them through. We need to engage them to reduce the fear they feel," Dr Burns said.

Women who were concerned their children might be removed from their care were less likely to be honest with doctors about their dependency problems, she said. Health providers should investigate other forms of care, such as peer-support schemes with former drug users and mothers, she added.

The rate of heroin and other opioid use was also around one in 200 pregnant women, according to the survey, published yesterday in the journal Addiction. But treatment options for heroin users were clearer, with methadone maintenance the "gold standard", Dr Burns said.

Her study shows that the babies of women who use any type of illicit drug in pregnancy are more likely to be premature, underweight, and to need care in a specialist unit. But some of this might be attributable to cigarette smoking, as the stimulant users in particular typically smoked heavily while pregnant.

The NSW research, which focuses on dependent drug use, adds to a 2004 national phone survey that found 6 per cent of women admitted to using illicit drugs while pregnant, including 2 per cent who used drugs other than cannabis.

Kei Lui, a senior lecturer in the school of women's and children's health at the University of NSW, who contributed to new national guidelines on the treatment of pregnant drug users, said a "non-punitive attitude" was essential to improve the health of women and their babies.

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Her study shows that the babies of women who use any type of illicit drug in pregnancy are more likely to be premature, underweight, and to need care in a specialist unit. But some of this might be attributable to cigarette smoking, as the stimulant users in particular typically smoked heavily while pregnant.

Click to expand...

Her study shows that the babies of women who use any type of illicit drug in pregnancy are more likely to be premature, underweight, and to need care in a specialist unit.

Click to expand...

Drug mums put kids in danger
Jane Metlikovec
07 Jul 2006

BABIES born to users of illicit drugs are more likely to end up in intensive care, a study has found.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre analysed more than 400,000 births and found drug users were, unsurprisingly, putting their children's lives at risk.

The NDARC research is Australia's first large study into the effect of illicit drugs on newborns.

Previous studies have been based on small sample groups of women.

Women who took drugs while pregnant were usually young, unmarried, not first-time mothers, and had no private health insurance.

They were also more likely to go to a hospital for delivery unbooked.

The study found 85 per cent of these women also smoked during pregnancy, despite knowing it was harmful to a baby.

Study chief investigator Lucy Burns said a lot of work needed to be done to educate women who took illicit drugs not to endanger their babies.

"We urgently need to focus on new, innovative ways to assist these women to reduce their problematic use of all drugs in pregnancy, including tobacco," Dr Burns said.

"We need to engage them in antenatal services as early as possible and provide them with continuity of care throughout their pregnancies and in the longer term."

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