Birth outcomes for pregnant women in residential substance abuse treatment

Abstract This exploratory study investigates impacts of residential substance abuse treatment in reducing risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy outcomes for 739 women who delivered in treatment were compared to findings from previous research on outcomes for drug-using women, outcomes for clients' previous pregnancies, and national infant morbidity and mortality rates. Infants born during their mothers' treatment had substantially lower rates of mortality and morbidity than all comparison groups, including the general US population. The findings suggest that residential substance abuse treatment can substantially reduce risks of negative birth outcomes for pregnant women.