The Newborn Addict, Ante- and Postnatal Care

Abstract

An investigation is presented of 87 Danish infants born to 62 drugaddicted mothers who had been pregnant altogether 145 times. In Denmark all pregnant women are offered prophylactic examinations, sometimes by their family doctor, sometimes by the midwife and in special cases by the obstetric clinic. Despite the fact that this antenatal care is considered especially important, not least for the addicted, pregnant woman, these offers were only poorly utilised. There were four perinatal deaths, of which two were stillbirths, further 3 infants died later as a result of abuse or neglect. After discharge from hospital only 43 infants lived at home with their mothers. The rest were either voluntarily or compulsorily placed with the mothers' parents, in family care, or in a childrens home. Only 2 infants were adopted. After their return home from the labour wards the mothers took little advantage of the prophylactic paediatric examinations and the vaccination program which are offered free by the family doctor to all children of pre-school age. The same was true regarding domiciliary visits by the health visitor.