Epidemiology and Effects of Substance Use in Pregnancy

Jocelynn L Cook; Courtney R Green; Sandra de la Ronde; Colleen A Dell; Lisa Graves; Alice Ordean; James Ruiter; Megan Steeves; Suzanne Wong

doi:10.1016/j.jogc.2017.07.005

Epidemiology and Effects of Substance Use in Pregnancy

J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2017 Oct;39(10):906-915. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2017.07.005.

Authors

Jocelynn L Cook¹, Courtney R Green², Sandra de la Ronde³, Colleen A Dell⁴, Lisa Graves⁵, Alice Ordean⁶, James Ruiter⁷, Megan Steeves⁸, Suzanne Wong⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON; The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Ottawa, ON. Electronic address: jcook@sogc.com.
² The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Ottawa, ON.
³ Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON.
⁴ Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.
⁵ Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI.
⁶ Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto and St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto, ON.
⁷ Salus Global Corporation, London, ON.
⁸ School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.
⁹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

PMID: 28935056
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2017.07.005

Abstract

Substance use during pregnancy has important implications for health care providers and policymakers and can negatively affect a woman's health and the health of her children. Understanding trends, patterns of use, and outcomes are critical to developing prevention campaigns, building awareness, and providing effective care. This review critically examines the current literature on substance use in pregnancy and during the postpartum period in terms of epidemiology, risk factors, and implications. The risk factors for substance use in pregnancy, the challenges associated with reporting these cases, and the adverse effects of common substances on maternal and fetal health are discussed.

Keywords: Substance use; cannabis; hallucinogens; opioids; pregnancy; stimulants.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Female
Humans
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications / epidemiology*
Pregnancy Complications / etiology
Substance-Related Disorders / complications
Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*