humulene and Infant--Newborn--Diseases

This population-based study showed that maternal opioid plus marijuana use during pregnancy was associated with increased odds of prematurity and low birth weight but lower odds of neonatal abstinence syndrome and prolonged hospitalization compared with opioid exposure without marijuana use. Further research should evaluate the biologic mechanisms responsible for these outcomes.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Cannabis; Child; Data Collection; Databases, Factual; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Male; Marijuana Abuse; Marijuana Smoking; Marijuana Use; Massachusetts; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; Opioid-Related Disorders; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Young Adult

Illicit drug taking in Australia, with its attendant social and medical consequences, is increasing and the effects extend to maternity hospitals where infants born to addicted mothers have more health problems in the neonatal period. The aims of this study were to evaluate (1) the patterns of illness of such infants and (2) the burden imposed on the neonatal department of a large tertiary maternity centre.. An audit was conducted of all Chemical Dependency Unit (CDU) mothers and babies delivered at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia during 1997. Data were compared with those from a concurrent control group of mothers and babies randomly generated from the hospital's obstetric database.. Ninety-six infants born to CDU mothers were compared with a control group of 200 infant/mother pairs. The majority of women in the CDU clinic were treated for narcotic addiction with methadone (90%) but most continued to use heroin during pregnancy (68%). Infants born to CDU mothers were significantly less mature and lighter than control infants. Fifty-three (55%) CDU infants required admission to the Special Care Nursery either because of neonatal abstinence syndrome (n = 29) or other medical reasons (n = 24). The median length of hospital stay was significantly longer in CDU compared with control infants (8 vs 3 days, P < 0.01).. Infants born to drug dependent mothers have more neonatal problems requiring specialized medical and nursing expertise, compared with control infants. These infants are large consumers of scarce health resources.

Topics: Adult; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Amphetamines; Australia; Benzodiazepines; Cannabis; Cocaine; Comorbidity; Female; Health Resources; Heroin; Hospitals, Urban; Humans; Incidence; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Length of Stay; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Male; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Medical Audit; Methadone; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Substance-Related Disorders

Although neonatal withdrawal syndrome is often noted in infants of narcotics addicts, ethanol withdrawal has been reported only among neonates with fetal alcohol syndrome. To examine the possibility that ethanol withdrawal occurs more widely and to identify its characteristics, the behavior of eight neonates born to women who drank a mean of 21 ounces of absolute alcohol per week during gestation was compared with that of two contrast groups: 15 infants whose mothers drank an equivalent amount but stopped in the second trimester, and 29 infants whose mothers never drank. None of the 52 infants had fetal alcohol syndrome, and all were in good health. Neurobehavioral evaluation 3 days postnatally compared the groups for the occurrence of characteristic signs of withdrawal from central nervous system depressants. Whereas there was no difference in the frequency of withdrawal symptoms among infants of mothers who never drank (mean 1.4) or of mothers who stopped drinking (mean 1.8), infants of mothers who continued to drink (mean 4.7) had significantly more tremors, hypertonia, restlessness, excessive mouthing movements, unconsolable crying, and reflex abnormalities. By interfering with state control and interactive behaviors, withdrawal could affect mother-infant bonding as well as the conditions that foster cognitive and social development.

Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Cannabis; Ethanol; Female; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Male; Pregnancy; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Results from a previous epidemiologic study indicate that marijuana use near term may elevate risk of abnormal progress of labor and meconium staining. We conducted a study of the association of self-reported marijuana use and perinatal problems in a series of 313 women enrolled in a home-birth center. The 41 marijuana users were similar to non-users with respect to most potentially confounding factors, but users had lower mean income and exhibited more tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy than non-users. Users experienced slightly elevated rates of dysfunctional labor (43% vs. 35% in non-users), precipitate labor (13% vs. 8%) and meconium staining (17% vs. 13%); differences with respect to most other outcomes were smaller or nonexistent. The observed differences were smaller in both relative and absolute terms than those reported by the earlier study, and were little changed upon adjustment for potentially confounding factors (including alcohol use, cigarette use, parity and income). After accounting for statistical variation, the results appear consistent with the earlier findings but further research is recommended.

Topics: Adult; Birth Weight; Cannabis; Female; Home Childbirth; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Meconium; Obstetric Labor Complications; Pregnancy; Regression Analysis

We conducted a prospective study of the effects of marijuana use in 35 pregnancies. Thirty-six age-and parity-matched nonuser pregnancies were selected for comparison. (Users of other illicit drugs were excluded from study.) Users and nonusers were similar with respect to most potentially confounding prenatal risk factors, although users tended to come from lower income and educational backgrounds. Most adverse outcomes of pregnancy were too infrequent to allow reliable comparisons between the groups, but the infants born to users exhibited significantly more meconium staining (57% versus 25% in nonusers). Significant differences in duration of labor were also observed. The findings were not altered by statistical adjustments for various prenatal differences between the groups. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed. We also address the implications of these findings for further research.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; California; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Epidemiologic Methods; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Obstetric Labor Complications; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Prospective Studies; Radioimmunoassay; Surveys and Questionnaires

Topics: Amphetamines; Barbiturates; Cannabis; Cocaine; Female; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Methadone; Narcotics; Pregnancy; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders; Tranquilizing Agents

Topics: Amphetamines; Cannabis; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Personality; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders

Topics: Amphetamine; Antipsychotic Agents; Barbiturates; Cannabis; Child Welfare; Chlorpromazine; Diazepam; Female; Heroin; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Pregnancy; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders

Topics: Amphetamine; Cannabis; Emergencies; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; Mental Disorders; Methadone; Opium; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Psychotic Disorders; Puerperal Disorders; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders; Tranquilizing Agents

Topics: Barbiturates; Cannabis; Codeine; Female; Heroin; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Methamphetamine; Narcotics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Substance-Related Disorders; Toxicology