The Experience of Pregnant Women With a History of Addiction at a High Risk Clinic [16R

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: 5.0% of pregnant women use one or more addictive substances. Drug use during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. The Prenatal Recovery Clinic (PRC) is a specialty clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital that provides care for pregnant women with a history of addiction. The objective of our study is to gain a greater understanding of the patients, their drug habits, health care experiences, and health outcomes at the PRC. METHODS: Pregnant women 18-50 years old that used substance and were patients at the PRC between March 2016 and April 2017 were eligible to participate in the study. Surveys was administered at two different times; the first at a PRC prenatal visit and another postpartum. Birth outcome data was extracted from medical records manually. RESULTS: Twelve patients were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, 33% reported more than one drug as their drug of choice. Participants rated the PRC clinic experience overall more favorably than their experience at the hospital for delivery, although the two experiences were not found to be statistically significant. Averages of PRC patient birth outcomes, such as gestational age, birth weight, and APGAR scores fell within normal limits. CONCLUSION: Pregnant patients with addiction can benefit from specialized clinics like the PRC that provide specialized care and assistance for pregnant women with a history of substance use. The results from our study indicate a potential for establishing a model similar to the PRC, that can be replicated to other clinics to address addiction in pregnancy.