The Management of the Pregnant Drug Addict

Abstract

The number of drug abusers in this country has increased over the past 20 years, and the pattern of drug taking has also changed. More people now take drugs on a recreational basis, and a smaller proportion of addicts show the full-blown picture of physical and mental deterioration associated with addiction in the past. Where such deterioration is present, pregnancy rarely occurs because of suppression of menstruation and ovulation and reduction of male fertility. Perhaps because of this change, the number of pregnant drug addicts has also increased. They now create a significant problem in the obstetric departments of hospitals in major population centres where addicts tend to congregate.