title: Cocaine use as a risk factor for abdominal pregnancy.
abstract: Failure to diagnose abdominal pregnancies can have disastrous morbidity/mortality consequences for mother and fetus. To make the diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy requires that the physician have a high index of suspicion and that he or she have a good understanding of the risk factors of abdominal pregnancy. This article presents data suggesting that maternal cocaine use is a risk factor for abdominal pregnancy, reviews the literature on the maternal/fetal effects of maternal cocaine use and the risk factors of abdominal pregnancy, and analyzes 55 cases of abdominal pregnancy. Maternal cocaine use correlated with a 20% rate of increase in the incidence of abdominal pregnancy compared with the 70% rate of decrease in the "before cocaine" time period. Recommendations are offered for management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Howard University College of Medicine/Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Audain
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011269:Pregnancy, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors