Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern
Introduction: A significant increase in psychoactive drugs use was observed in women of childbearing age and during the perinatal period worldwide. Yet, the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy is a serious health risk for the mother, developing fetus and newborn. Methods: This...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/6/2175 |
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| author | Gihan ELNahas Florence Thibaut |
| author_facet | Gihan ELNahas Florence Thibaut |
| author_sort | Gihan ELNahas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: A significant increase in psychoactive drugs use was observed in women of childbearing age and during the perinatal period worldwide. Yet, the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy is a serious health risk for the mother, developing fetus and newborn. Methods: This review of current trends and consequences of psychoactive substance use in the general population and in pregnant women was conducted using the English and French literature published during the years 2000 to 2022, supplemented by guidelines, meta-analyses and reviews. Results: According to current rates of prenatal substances use, it was calculated that 380,000 offspring were exposed to illicit substances, more than 500,000 to alcohol and over one million to tobacco during uterine life. Alarmingly, drug-related pregnancy-associated mortality has shown a staggering 190% rise between 2010 and 2019 in the USA. Different drugs of abuse, when used during pregnancy, increase the risk of stillbirth, neonatal abstinence syndrome and sudden infant death. Adverse effects on pregnancy include premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, preterm birth, low birth space? weight and small-for-gestational-age infants. There is also an increased risk of morbidity and mortality for the pregnant women. Long-term negative adverse effects of perinatal exposure to substances also include a number of neurocognitive, behavioral and emotional dysfunctions in infants. Each type of substance has its own specificities, which will be briefly summarized. Conclusion: All childbearing age women must be informed about the potential harm of the prenatal use of psychoactive substances and should be encouraged to stop their use when pregnancy is planned and, at least, when pregnancy is known. Questioning women about their alcohol consumption should be systematic at the first prenatal visit and then at every prenatal visit until delivery. Multidisciplinary prevention approaches as well as intervention measures targeted to each type of psychoactive substance can save mothers’ lives and mitigate serious adversities to the offspring. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:22:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52514ccb53634e32876456f861847f3d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:22:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-52514ccb53634e32876456f861847f3d2023-11-17T11:49:07ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-03-01126217510.3390/jcm12062175Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health ConcernGihan ELNahas0Florence Thibaut1Neuropsychiatry Department, Ain Shams Medical School, Cairo 11591, EgyptUniversity Hospital Cochin (Site Tarnier), University of Paris Cité, AP-HP, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, 75006 Paris, FranceIntroduction: A significant increase in psychoactive drugs use was observed in women of childbearing age and during the perinatal period worldwide. Yet, the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy is a serious health risk for the mother, developing fetus and newborn. Methods: This review of current trends and consequences of psychoactive substance use in the general population and in pregnant women was conducted using the English and French literature published during the years 2000 to 2022, supplemented by guidelines, meta-analyses and reviews. Results: According to current rates of prenatal substances use, it was calculated that 380,000 offspring were exposed to illicit substances, more than 500,000 to alcohol and over one million to tobacco during uterine life. Alarmingly, drug-related pregnancy-associated mortality has shown a staggering 190% rise between 2010 and 2019 in the USA. Different drugs of abuse, when used during pregnancy, increase the risk of stillbirth, neonatal abstinence syndrome and sudden infant death. Adverse effects on pregnancy include premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, preterm birth, low birth space? weight and small-for-gestational-age infants. There is also an increased risk of morbidity and mortality for the pregnant women. Long-term negative adverse effects of perinatal exposure to substances also include a number of neurocognitive, behavioral and emotional dysfunctions in infants. Each type of substance has its own specificities, which will be briefly summarized. Conclusion: All childbearing age women must be informed about the potential harm of the prenatal use of psychoactive substances and should be encouraged to stop their use when pregnancy is planned and, at least, when pregnancy is known. Questioning women about their alcohol consumption should be systematic at the first prenatal visit and then at every prenatal visit until delivery. Multidisciplinary prevention approaches as well as intervention measures targeted to each type of psychoactive substance can save mothers’ lives and mitigate serious adversities to the offspring.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/6/2175womenpregnancyperinatal mental healthalcoholtobaccosubstance use |
| spellingShingle | Gihan ELNahas Florence Thibaut Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern Journal of Clinical Medicine women pregnancy perinatal mental health alcohol tobacco substance use |
| title | Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern |
| title_full | Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern |
| title_fullStr | Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern |
| title_short | Perinatal Psychoactive Substances Use: A Rising Perinatal Mental Health Concern |
| title_sort | perinatal psychoactive substances use a rising perinatal mental health concern |
| topic | women pregnancy perinatal mental health alcohol tobacco substance use |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/6/2175 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gihanelnahas perinatalpsychoactivesubstancesusearisingperinatalmentalhealthconcern AT florencethibaut perinatalpsychoactivesubstancesusearisingperinatalmentalhealthconcern |