Smoking, alcohol and marijuana consumption in a self-report by women who delivered their babies at the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (May 2013- April 2014)

Abstract

Introduction: prevalence of drug use in women who get pregnant is likely to be similar to that of the general population, what may result in a high exposure of fetus during the first trimester, the most vulnerable stage with regards to neurodevelopment and organogenesis.
Objective: to learn about the prevalence of smoking, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine derivatives during pregnancy, according to a self report by women who delivered their babies at the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center.
Methods: we conducted a descriptive study,The data transversal and analytical during one year. The data were collected by means of a protocolized survey to women during the immediate puerperium and data was taken from the medical record.
Results: 319 women were surveyed. Most women were older than 18 years old (83.65%) with an average of 24.67 years old; pregnancy had not been planned in 182 cases (57%). 136 women declared to have smoked during pregnancy (42.63%), most of those who quit the habit did it in the first trimester. 76 women declared to have drunk alcohol during pregnancy (23.825), 5 (1.5%) reported marijuana consumption during pregnancy. Three women declared they had consumed cocaine and 3 to have consumed coca paste (0.94 and 0.94 respectively).
Conclusions: the substance that is more widely used during pregnancy is tobacco, followed by alcohol. A high percentage of unwanted pregnancies may determine a higher exposure to previous habit during the first trimester of pregnancy, when fetus are most vulnerable.