Frecuencia y características de las embarazadas y los recién nacidos expuestos a marihuana y cocaína en la Maternidad del Hospital de Maldonado

Abstract

The consumption of cocaine base paste and marijuana during pregnancy is a growing problem. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of use of these substances during pregnancy in women hospitalized in Maldonado Hospital and to describe the characteristics of these women and their children. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 02/01/14 to 31/01/15. Women who selfreported consuming during pregnancy or presented metabolites of these drugs in urine were detected. Maternal variables studied were: age, level of education, occupation, previous pregnancies, pregnancy checks, drug consumed. The newborn variables were sex, gestational age, anthropometric data, Apgar score and abstinence by Finnegan. 684 pregnant women were studied, in 26 of them consumption was detected. The frequency of cocaine/cocaine base paste was 2.7% (2.1% - 3.3%) and cannabis 1.5% (0.6% - 2.4%). In 16 it was by self-report. The mean maternal age was 24.8 years. Most of the newborns had normal birth anthropometric data. Abstinence syndrome was diagnosed in 10. None required treatment. This is the first report that estimates the frequency of consumption in this hospital but surely the problem is greater. Self-report has low sensitivity for the detection of consumption and systematical use of other methods of detection was lacking. The design of the investigation did not allow us to know the impact of consumption in perinatal outcomes

Keywords

• cannabis
• cocaína
• crack
• embarazo