title: Characteristics of perinatal women seeking treatment for marijuana abuse in a community-based clinic.
abstract: In the US, marijuana continues to be the most frequently used illicit drug among women of childbearing age, including pregnant and postpartum women. Given the critical window for treatment during the perinatal period, more information is needed about the characteristics of women who abuse marijuana and about their unique needs with the goal of improving clinical services and outcomes for both women and their infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To (1) identify a profile of perinatal women seeking treatment for primarily marijuana abuse and (2) report birth outcomes in a subset of pregnant women with marijuana abuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective clinical chart review study examined 67 adult perinatal women patients (54 % ethnic minority) who attended an inner-city, hospital-affiliated outpatient program specializing in substance abuse treatment for women. Of all pregnant women, 26 % reported positive urine screens during the first trimester, 41 % during the second trimester, and 27 % during the third trimester. While the subset of pregnant women was small, exploratory results suggest that infants whose mothers continued to use marijuana during their pregnancies were born at a lower gestational age than mothers who abstained; t(29) = 2.04, p <0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying potential barriers to treatment could help improve retention in community-based treatment programs during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Box G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Golfo_Tzilos@brown.edu
authors.forename: Golfo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzilos
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Jennifer Chien-Wen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zlotnick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008485:Medical Audit; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D018743:Perinatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012237:Rhode Island; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D055815:Young Adult