title: Screening, testing, and reporting for drug and alcohol use on labor and delivery: a survey of Maryland birthing hospitals.
abstract: Recent amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act tie the receipt of federal block grants to mandatory reporting of substance-exposed newborns. To determine rates of screening, testing, and reporting of drug and alcohol use at the time of delivery, we administered a telephone survey of nursing managers and perinatal social workers at Maryland birthing hospitals. Of the 34 hospitals, 31 responded (response rate 91%). Although 97% of hospitals reported universal screening, only 6% used a validated instrument. Testing was reported by 94% with 45% reporting universal maternal testing and 7% universal newborn testing. Only 32% reported obtaining maternal consent prior to testing. There is significant heterogeneity in screening and testing for substance use in birthing hospitals. Given federal reporting mandates, state-level practices need to be standardized.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Social Work , University of Maryland Medical Center , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanham
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Shaalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramanadhan
authors.forename: Mishka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terplan
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016550:Birthing Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003625:Data Collection; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D018580:Mandatory Testing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: child protective services; pregnancy; screening; substance abuse; testing