"because of the baby": Reduction on drug use during pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives: evaluate changes in the use of psychoactive substances (PAS) throughout pregnancy. Methods: longitudinal study, with pregnant women users of PAS at a prenatal follow-up. Results: 76 pregnant women used: tobacco (84.2%, n=64), alcohol (73.7%, n=56), cocaine (27.6%, n=21), marijuana (26.3%, n=20) and crack (13.1%, n=10). Spontaneous interruption had occurred in 60% (n=6) of crack users, 57.1% (n=12) of cocaine and 50% (n=28) of alcohol. After the Brief Intervention, 78.9% (15 of the total of 19) of alcohol users and 70% (7 of the total of 10) of marijuana users discontinued the consumption and there was a reduction in smoking cigarettes. Conclusions: the spontaneous reduction in the consumption of PAS and after the interven-tions, pregnancy is a window of opportunity to reduce the use of drugs.