Alcohol and drug screening of newborns: would women consent?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the conditions under which mothers would consent to alcohol and drug screening of their infants, and to identify predictors of screening consent.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was administered in person by trained research assistants on the postpartum units of three hospitals in a large Canadian urban centre over four months. The survey was administered to 1509 mothers (78.4% of those eligible) who were fluent in English and had given birth within the preceding 48 hours.


RESULTS
Mothers indicated that they would consent to screening of their newborn (1369/1460, 93.8%), and thought all mothers should consent if infants at risk would be more likely to receive effective treatment (1440/1476, 97.6%). Respondents believed that they would consent to screening if they were provided the following information: what would happen if the infant sample was positive for prenatal exposure (1431/1476, 97%); who would have access to the information (1377/1476, 93.4%); how effective medical care would be for the child (1435/1476, 97.4%); and the likelihood that a baby with a positive screen would have a problem (1444/1476, 98.1%). Self-reported alcohol use did not decrease willingness to consent. In a multivariate model, belief that universal screening would not make women feel discriminated against was a significant predictor of consent (adjusted OR 5.9; 95% CI 3.3-10.6).


CONCLUSIONS
Mothers would support a universal newborn alcohol and drug screening program if there was evidence that screening could lead to effective treatment for the mother and baby, and if appropriate resources were available.
Hicks
Matthew
M
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Tough
Suzanne C
SC
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB; Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Premji
Shahirose
S
Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Benzies
Karen
K
Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Lyon
Andrew W
AW
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Mitchell
Ian
I
Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
Sauve
Reg
R
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB; Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary and Calgary Health Region, Calgary AB.
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D033282:Parental Consent; D011247:Pregnancy; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires