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Perioperative Addiction pp 191–212Cite as

Drugs, Alcohol, and Pregnant Women: Anesthetic Implications for Mother and Newborn

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Abstract

The prevalence of substance abuse among young adults has increased markedly over the last 20 years. Since nearly 90% of drug-abusing women are of childbearing age, it is likely that the clinician will encounter pregnant women who abuse illicit drugs [1]. As many case reports confirm, life-threatening complications may result when the physiologic changes of pregnancy are combined with the adverse effects of drug abuse [2]. Anesthesiologists are likely to meet the drug-abusing parturient first in an acute setting either when labor analgesia is requested or in an emergency situation such as fetal distress, placental abruption, uterine rupture, or sudden onset of life-threatening maternal dysrhythmias. Risk factors suggesting drug abuse in pregnancy include lack of prenatal care, history of premature labor, and cigarette smoking [3]. The most common illicit substances encountered are alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, marijuana, and tobacco.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    Migdalia Saloum MD & Jonathan N. Epstein MD

  2. College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Jonathan N. Epstein MD

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  1. Migdalia Saloum MD
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Correspondence to Migdalia Saloum MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Associate Professor, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Ethan O. Bryson

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Professor, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Elizabeth A. M. Frost

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Saloum, M., Epstein, J.N. (2012). Drugs, Alcohol, and Pregnant Women: Anesthetic Implications for Mother and Newborn. In: Bryson, E., Frost, E. (eds) Perioperative Addiction. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0170-4_11

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