Adolescent Substance Use During Pregnancy

In 1990 health workers spoke with and examined 50 consecutive patients mean age = 16.7 years) at the Teen OB Clinic of the Adolescent Medicine Division of the University of California--San Diego (UCSD) to examine rates of substance use during pregnancy of inner-city teens. The prevalence of substance use during pregnancy was lower than the lifetime prevalence. Based on self-reports tobacco use fell from 54 to 26% (p < .02). Alcohol use decreased from 78 to 28% (p < .01). Marijuana use fell from 44 to 8% (p < .01). The prevalence of crystal methamphetamine lifetime use was 22% and during pregnancy was 2% (p < .01). The urine assay yielded only 4 positive tests (2 patients) yet neither of the teens reported using the substances identified by the assay (alcohol amphetamines and crystal methamphetamine). Further it did not detect alcohol or marijuana in the teens reporting alcohol use and marijuana use. 74% of the patients delivered at the UCSD Medical Center. The urine assays (from only 70% of the original patients) at delivery did not detect any substance use. The researchers believed that these teens used judicious decision making because they knew the health risks of substance use during pregnancy. Further research is needed to learn shy the teens decreased substance use during pregnancy and to identify possible moderators and mediators.