Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: What you need to know• Ask about substance use in all women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy• Early brief interventions may be effective when delivered by non-specialists in primary care• Support for women who use substances during pregnancy may involve liaison with other services such as midwifery and specialist drug and alcohol services Case scenarioA 30 year old primiparous woman is delighted to find herself pregnant and comes to your surgery for confirmation of the pregnancy.You discover that she is smoking 20 cigarettes a day, and she is worried that she went to a friend's wedding around the time of conception and drank so much that she couldn't remember what had happened until the next day.She also reports occasional recreational use of cannabis. Next stepsAdvise her of the risks of smoking and of alcohol and cannabis use during pregnancy.The biggest risk for her pregnancy at present is her smoking.Offer referral to a specialist pregnancy smoking cessation clinic.Clarify with her how much cannabis and alcohol she is using.Brief intervention may be sufficient, but regular or heavy use of either substance may warrant referral to specialist drug and alcohol services.
Source: BMJ
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m1627
Authors: Claire A Wilson, Emily Finch, Catherine Kerr, Judy Shakespeare
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Medical Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W3023835336