title: Prevalence of substance abuse in pregnancy among Danish women.
abstract: There are few recent data on the prevalence of substance abuse among Danish pregnant women. During 2013, in the Region of Southern Denmark, a cross-sectional, anonymous, screening-based study was conducted among pregnant women attending for routine ultrasound scan at 12 weeks gestation. The women submitted a urine sample and completed a short questionnaire. Urine samples were tested for opiates, cannabis, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methadone, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Positive samples underwent repeat analysis for confirmation. Of 690 pregnant women, 88.1% participated. Overall, 3.6% of women had a positive urine sample confirmed by repeated analysis. The age distribution in women with positive samples did not differ from the entire cohort. Our findings indicate a larger prevalence than anticipated, and that a substantial number of pregnant women with substance abuse are not appropriately referred to the focused specialist center for such women at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nete L K
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Rausgaard
authors.forename: Inge O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ibsen
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Ronald F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Amphetamine; benzodiazepines; cannabis; cocaine; methadone; methamphetamine; opiates; pregnancy; prevalence; substance abuse