title: Pregnancy and birth under maintenance treatment with diamorphine (heroin): a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) is a new form of treatment for heroin-dependent patients not responding to conventional interventions such as methadone maintenance treatment. No pregnancies or births under HAT have been reported until now.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pregnancy course of a 31-year-old severely dependent multi-morbid woman receiving HAT and the birth of a healthy baby after premature delivery is described. HAT helped to reduce the use of illicit substances both before and during pregnancy. The neonatal abstinence syndrome was clinically well compensated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HAT seems to be feasible in pregnant women and normal birth is possible under HAT, which therefore may act as a harm reduction measure for polydrug-using pregnant women not responding to methadone maintenance treatment.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum fur Interdisziplinare Suchtforschung der Universitat Hamburg (ZIS), Klinik fur Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitatsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hartwig
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haasen
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lichtermann
authors.forename: Linde
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wuellenweber
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dilg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin