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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Pamela Muthuuri, MPH and Kazi A. Ahmed, PhD. JBS International, Inc., 8630 Fenton Street, 12th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 240-645-4141, pmuthuuri@jbs.biz

Substance abuse during pregnancy is critical to the health of mothers and babies. Some are deforming substances while others such as heroin, cocaine, are not but use may lead to withdrawal and growth retardation in the newborn. Method: The study will profile the socio-demographic characteristics of the study population. This study will describe the types and frequency of reported primary drugs of choice among pregnant women (N= 588) as compared to those of non-pregnant women (N= 8825). Treatment completion rates among pregnant women reporting primary substance abuse will also be analyzed. The data was obtained from a National Study: Treatment Outcomes Pilot Performance Study (TOPPS II). Data is from sixteen States that provided sample data that was collected using a standardized outcomes instrument. Results: Preliminary results show that among the women who abuse drugs 6.3% were pregnant. Among pregnant women the highest abused stimulants (29.9%) followed by heroine/opiates (25.9%) and alcohol (13.6%).Among non-pregnant women the highest number abused stimulants (26.1%) followed by alcohol (24.9%). None of the pregnant women reported abuse of tranquilizers, inhalants or OTC's. Pregnant women (33%) are less likely to complete treatment than non-pregnant women (37.9%). Conclusion: This study will help identify the most frequently abused drugs by pregnant mothers. It will help identify the burden on treatment completion among pregnant substance abusers which is essential in reducing the health risks involved otherwise.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the socio-demographic profile of pregnant women using drugs.
• Learn about their choice of drugs and the likelihood of treatment completion.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Substance Abuse

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered