Pregnant women should be screened for substance abuse, a psychiatrist in South Africa told an international congress.
Speaking at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) World Congress, Cape Town psychiatrist Kerry Louw warned of the ‘medical challenge’ of identifying pregnant women who misuse substances.
She highlighted nicotine as the most commonly used drug by expecting mothers, followed by alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.
The misuse of alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, stimulants and opiates can lead to serious health complications for both the mother and baby.
Ms Louw said: ‘While any substance use during pregnancy can have potentially serious effects on the health of the mother and unborn baby, the repercussions depend on the drug, concurrent chemical usage, timing and extent of use, co-occurring psychiatric illnesses and environmental factors.
‘Substance use in pregnancy can lead to poor foetal development, low birth weight, prematurity, foetal alcohol syndrome, miscarriage and stillbirth.’
Ms Louw pointed out how many women use their pregnancy as motivation to stop or cut down use, but are under threat of relapsing due to the chronic nature of addiction.
Nearly two in 10 women in the Western Cape, South Africa, drink alcohol while pregnant – more than twice the international average.