Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nursing,sci.med.pharmacy
From: [jwat c h] at [world.std.com] (Journal Watch)
Subject: Journal Watch Summaries for July 8, 1994
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 1994 15:10:48 GMT


  This is Journal Watch, a medical-literature
survey produced by the Massachusetts Medical
Society.
  Twice a week, our physician-editors summarize
important new clinical research from a group
of 25 journals. Twice a month, the summaries
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  Contents copyright 1994, Mass. Medical Society.



Journal Watch Summaries for July 8, 1994.


A PROFILE OF PRENATAL DRUG USE.
  Arch Fam Med 1994 Jun; 3:520-7.

A PROFILE OF PRENATAL DRUG USE.
   Prenatal drug use has been found to vary widely among
demographic groups. This study analyzed meconium samples
from obstetric deliveries at suburban and urban hospitals in
the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to estimate the variability.
   The patient populations at the four hospitals matched the
overall community demographics in terms of race, age, and
socioeconomic status. Analysis of 1333 meconium samples
showed that 2.0 percent of pregnant women used cocaine
(range among hospitals, 0.3 to 4.3 percent), 2.6 percent
used marijuana (1.1 to 6.3 percent), and 1.2 percent used
opiates (0 to 1.7 percent). Rates of cocaine and marijuana
use were highest at an urban hospital that primarily served
minorities of lower socioeconomic status, while opiate use
was highest at a hospital primarily serving whites with
private insurance. Use of cocaine and marijuana was
associated with lower average birth weight, but not with
other adverse newborn outcomes such as prematurity or the
need for intensive care. Self reports indicated that 22.6
percent of pregnant women smoked cigarettes.
   Comment: These estimates of prenatal drug use are
comparable to those in other studies, but the uniformity of
rates across a variety of populations is surprising.
Therefore, the message from this study is to be vigilant and
employ appropriate prenatal drug education and prevention
strategies irrespective of sociodemographic traits.
--TL Schwenk.
   Citation: Yawn BP; et al. Prenatal drug use in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. 
Arch Fam Med 1994 Jun; 3:520-7.


Originally printed in Journal Watch, July 1, 1994,
p. 8. Feature stories are compiled from many sources,
including journal articles, personal interviews, and
conferences.