Petrol sniffing in a pregnant Aboriginal population: a review of maternal and neonatal outcomes

Abstract

The study's aim was to determine if petrol sniffing during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes at the Alice Springs Hospital. The study design was a retrospective case note review. The subjects were Aboriginal women who delivered at the Alice Springs Hospital between July 1991 and September 1999 where petrol sniffing was identified on the discharge coding; 14 women with 21 pregnancies were identified. One hundred and eleven nulliparous Aboriginal women who delivered at hospital between July 1998 and June 1999, with singleton gestation in cephalic presentation, were identified from the birth register and used as the control group. We found that women identified as petrol sniffers during pregnancy presented later for antenatal care, had fewer antenatal visits, lower booking haemoglobin and weighed less at booking when compared with non-petrol-sniffing women. Women who sniffed petrol during pregnancy were more likely to have one or more sexually transmitted diseases identified during the pregnancy; to use other substances during pregnancy; to be colonised with group B Streptococcus; to have meconium stained liquor prior to delivery; and to have a still-birth. Infants born to petrol-sniffing mothers were more likely to have birthweight less than 2,500 g; to have Apgar scores of less than 7 at 5 minutes; to require admission to the neonatal unit; and to be placed in foster care or for adoption. We concluded that the pregnancy complicated by petrol sniffing should be recognised as one at increased risk of adverse outcome, necessitating increased antenatal surveillance. However, as with other substances abused, it is extremely difficult to determine the role played by the substance per se, and that of the lifestyle associated with the abuse behaviour.