The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: • Estimate the prevalence and consumption of drugs during pregnancy. • Investigate information provided by doctors concerning risks involved in alcohol and drug consumption during pregnancy in order to review State applied policies. • Contribute towards the estimation of human, social and economic costs produced by problematic consumption of drugs.

Methods: Perpuerae over 15, interned in the two main public hospitals in Uruguay (50% of all births in Montevideo). Coincidental sample of 900 cases (births produced during May 2005). Objective population: mothers from low and middle-to-low socio-economic levels, with lower than average education and lacking private health services. Instrument: face-to-face survey performed within 48 hours after birth by trained personnel. Perinatal registries were taken from hospital archives. 900 meconium samples to be tested for alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines and caffeine; once available, these results will allow validation of the survey's results (by Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital). :

Results: 41.3% consumed tobacco during pregnancy. Half smoked 6 or more daily cigarettes. 36.8% consumed alcohol during pregnancy. One third of physicians controlling the pregnancies warned their patients about risks associated with tobacco (34% of all physicians) and alcohol (27%) consumption. 16.3% consumed tranquilizers during pregnancy. 44% consumed alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy. 16.7% consumed both. 1.4% consumed illegal drugs during pregnancy (marijuana and cocaine paste). 8.9% didn't control their pregnancy. Babies belonging to smoking mothers present statistically lower birth weights. 30% of all births were planned.