title: Patterns of multiple substance abuse during pregnancy: implications for mother and fetus.
abstract: This paper describes patterns of drug use such as choice of drug, other substances abused, and route of administration in 174 women who reported methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, or "Ts and blues" abuse during pregnancy. Seventy-five percent (130/174) reported using more than one drug. Other than tobacco, alcohol and cocaine were the drugs most frequently used in combination with other drugs (7% to 53% and 12% to 54% of the time, respectively). The extent of polydrug use observed in this study emphasizes (1) the difficulty in ascribing adverse maternal or fetal health effects to single substances, and (2) the potential for interaction effects due to multiple substance abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9032.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Snell
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Gilstrap
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003932:Heroin / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010423:Pentazocine / Q000009:adverse effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014309:Tripelennamine / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014309:Tripelennamine; D008694:Methamphetamine; D003932:Heroin; D003042:Cocaine; D010423:Pentazocine; D008691:Methadone