Maternal and perinatal outcome with drug abuse in pregnancy.
This study was undertaken to evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcome in women abusing drugs. A retrospective case-control study was conducted on 35 drug abusers who delivered between January 1994 and August 1997 at Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale. Heroin was the most commonly used drug. The major antenatal complications were anaemia (37%). IUGR (25.7%), prematurity (14.2%) and abruptio placenta (8.5%). Neonatal outcome with regard to birth weight, head circumference and body length did not show any significant difference between the study and control group. There was one stillbirth, giving a perinatal mortality rate of 28.5/1000 total births.
Thangappah
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RB
Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale NHS Trust, UK.