Transcript Slide 1

Pregnancy-Related Issues in the Management of Addictions
Train the Trainer Workshop
Problematic Substance Use in Pregnancy (PSUP)
www.addictionpregnancy.ca
Last modified: March 2008
Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Financial support for this workshop was
provided by Health Canada

Funding for the PRIMA Pocket Reference
was provided by the Lawson Foundation

No commercial sponsorship has been
received to support this program
Pregnancy-Related Issues in the Management of Addictions
Problematic Substance Use
in Pregnancy
Community Presentation
Objectives

Define an approach to care for problematic
substance use in pregnancy (PSUP)

screening and epidemiology
Describe prenatal care in the context of
substance use treatment
 Describe the effects of common substances
 Describe care at delivery and postpartum
 Describe resources available

Reasons Women Use Drugs







Cope with history of mental health problems & /or
sexual abuse
Cope with stressors of poverty and racism
Cope with problems/stress, e.g., violence, family
separation
Cope with feelings of lack of self-worth or
inadequacy
Influenced by substance use of partners
Control weight gain
Desire for recreation
High Risk Groups of Women

History of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)

Low income status

Young age with little or no support

Unplanned & unwanted pregnancy

Previous child with developmental delay

History of mood/anxiety disorder or eating
disorder
Approach to Care - Principles
Woman-centered, nonjudgmental care is crucial
 Establishing rapport is the single most important
aspect of the initial encounter
 Disclosure of use should be seen as positive
 The antenatal period is often a time when
women are ready to change
 Address the woman’s needs and withdrawal
symptoms before moving on

Try not to fix everything!!!
Approach to Care-Principles (2)





Prior relationships with health care providers have often
been negative
There is a high percentage of survivors of sexual abuse
among women with PSUP - sensitive interviewing is
required (defer pelvic exam unless required)
Work to establish trust through communication
Ensure she is safe to leave - increased risk for intimate
partner violence
Meet her needs as she identifies them (i.e., food, shelter,
etc.)
(cont’d)
Approach to Care-Principles

(3)
Watch for nonverbal cues
 Is she feeling vulnerable?
 Is she in withdrawal?
 Does she understand what you are saying?
 Does she appear hungry?
 Does she require clothing or shelter?
 Does she have a mental health problem?
Remember that the appearance of belligerence or
anger may signify fear, pain or withdrawal!
Identify Key Issues at First Visit





Explore whether she is in withdrawal
Enquire about acute and chronic medical conditions
Ask about medications & OTC and herbal products
Ask if she is safe and has adequate nutrition
FIFE:





What does she feel about her substance use?
What are her ideas about how she started using?
How is she functioning?
What are her expectations about provider involvement?
Plan for follow-up soon after initial encounter
It is better to do less than more at the first visit
so that she will come back!
Comprehensive Assessment

Screening by interviewing for substances used:








Alcohol
Nicotine
Marijuana
Cocaine and other Stimulants
Opiates, illegal and prescribed
Benzodiazepines
Inhalants
Hallucinogens and Designer Drugs
(cont’d)
Screening Test: T-ACE

T: Tolerance
How many drinks does it take for you to feel the effects?

A: Annoyed
Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

C: Cut down
Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

E: Eye-opener
Have you ever had a drink in the morning to steady your
nerves or get going?
T-ACE: Scoring
T: 2 points if it takes 2 or more drinks
 A,C,E: 1 point each for yes


A total score of 2 points or more indicates the
woman is likely to have a problem with alcohol
Screening Test: TWEAK
T: How many drinks before you feel high?
(Tolerance: record # of drinks)
 W: Has anyone worried about your drinking in past
year?
 E: Do you need a drink in the morning to get going?
(Eye opener)
 A: Has anyone ever told you about things you said
or did while you were drinking that you could not
remember? (Amnesia or blackouts)
 K (C): Have you felt the need to cut down?

TWEAK: Scoring
T: 2 points if it takes 3 or more drinks to feel the
effects of alcohol
 W: 2 points if yes
 E, A, K: 1 point each for yes


A total score of 3 or more points indicates that
the woman is likely to have a drinking problem.
Comprehensive Assessment
This comprehensive history may be completed over
several visits:
 Complete drug history: name of drug, amount,
frequency, duration, route(s), last use, needle sharing or
injection drug use (IDU)
 History of withdrawal symptoms
 Consequences of drug use
 Previous treatment: programs, mutual aid groups
 Medical history: HIV, Hepatitis B & C, STIs
 Obstetrical history: GxPy, LMP, cycle regularity
 Social History: partner, living children
(cont’d)
Comprehensive Assessment
Further issues to identify after the establishment of a
therapeutic relationship:


Psychiatric history: eating disorders, mood disorders
Social history: family situation (partner, # of children), housing &
nutrition, legal (current charges & court dates), finances, domestic
violence & child abuse (safety)

Family history: substance use, psychiatric disorders, genetic and
congenital disorders

Sexual abuse history: very common among substance using
women so use sensitive interviewing techniques
(cont’d)
Comprehensive Assessment

Consider screening for intimate partner violence


ALPHA (Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment)
Three key questions:



Have you ever experienced abuse?
Are you or have you ever been afraid of your partner?
Are you safe?
ALPHA: http://dfcm19.med.utoronto.ca/research/alpha
(cont’d)
Comprehensive Assessment
Child Protection Concerns
 Remember - there is no legal obligation to report the
unborn child
 Not all women will require child protection services –
some will require support services
 Be honest about your legal obligation to inform child
protection services once the baby is born
 Identify any risks to children that may be living with
woman - will need to clarify disposition of all living
children
 Encourage voluntary self-reporting
Physical Examination

Unless clear medical emergency can defer detailed
medical exam

Vital signs, fetal heart rate and mother’s weight are key
components at each encounter

Defer pelvic exam until rapport has been established
(possible history of sexual abuse will require sensitivity
during exam)

Obstetrical exam - FHR, Symphysis fundal height

Target exam to reflect / detect substance use



Skin for injection sites, cellulitis, cuts, bruises; nasal passages
Cardiac exam: murmur
Abdominal exam: enlarged liver
Investigations

Bloodwork: Quantitative Serum B-hcg, routine
prenatal bloodwork, liver enzymes, HIV and
Hepatitis C serology (with consent)

Urine: routine and microscopy, culture and
sensitivity

Ultrasound: for dates (if uncertain) and
morphology

Consider drug toxicology testing (with consent),
as needed
Screening for Infections
Screen as required for:

Hepatitis B with HbsAg and Antibody levels

Hepatitis C antibody testing

Syphilis

HIV (requires informed consent to perform test)

Mantoux (need to ascertain her previous status)

Chlamydia and gonorrhea

Retest as exposure dictates due to window periods for
conversion
Hepatitis C (HCV) Infection

Rates of HCV infection up to 90% following more than 5
years injection drug use

Seroconversion occurs most frequently in the first year
of injection use

Rate of vertical transmission 0 to 5%

No treatment for HCV during pregnancy

Confirm if acute or chronic HCV infection

Consider Hepatitis A & B vaccines for Hep C positive
mothers
Urine Drug Testing (Toxicology)

If urine drug screening is required by protection
services, it must be with maternal consent

If there has been maternal drug use, and there
are medical concerns for the neonate and
mother is unable or unwilling to give consent,
then drug screens on neonate may be taken
without consent

Note: An unexpected positive result merits
confirmatory testing! (same sample if possible)
(cont’d)
UDS - Toxicology
Voluntary urine testing
PROS: agreement provides medical information for
caregiver and suggests co-operation with medical care



Negative urine toxicology reports can show abstinence has been
achieved and is helpful in interviews with child protection agencies
Valuable for monitoring treatment progress and enhancing
motivation
Necessary in some centers if considering methadone maintenance
therapy
CONS: coercion can set up adversarial relationship
between woman and care provider - open
communication is critical component
Ongoing Care

Frequent visits

Consider pros and cons of multiple care
providers (i.e., methadone prescriber and
obstetrical provider should ideally be the same
person or work in the same clinic)

Ongoing fetal health surveillance dependent on
care provider
Strategies to Engage Women
into Care

Reduce harm related to drug use - if abstinence
is not achievable at present, focus on harm
reduction

Focus on woman’s needs (woman-centered care; food,
housing, safety, emotional support)

Help women re-connect with the healthcare and
social systems

Advocate on behalf of women with substance
use issues with child protection authorities
Harm Reduction

When abstinence is not an option - consider
harm reduction philosophies

Harm Reduction: refers to any strategy that
focuses on reducing the harmful consequences
of drug use and associated high-risk behaviors
Example: With some substances, abstinence is not a
safe option during pregnancy – methadone maintenance
therapy is considered a harm reduction approach for
opioid dependence in pregnancy
Management of Drug Use

Manage withdrawal symptoms

Consider pharmacological maintenance options, e.g., nicotine
replacement therapy (NRT), methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for opioid
dependence

Encourage treatment program attendance if the patient is at
a stage of change where she is ready for treatment

Discuss inpatient versus outpatient programs

Educate about fetal and maternal effects

Counsel about risks of Hepatitis B&C, HIV
Management of Withdrawal



Drug withdrawal can potentially cause miscarriage in T1,
premature labour in T3,adverse fetal effects including fetal
distress
If a woman wishes to withdraw from Methadone or opiates,
T2 (12-28 weeks GA) may be safest time for taper
The woman should be aware of her increased opiate needs
during pregnancy, and risk of relapse with taper

Treatment is based on specific substance(s) used by woman
so enquire about polydrug use (very common)

Medical detoxification recommended for opiates,
benzodiazepines and alcohol
Management of Hepatitis C in
Labour and Postpartum

Counsel all women about risk factors for hepatitis
C and offer screening (repeat lab work if re-exposed)

If anti-HCV positive, monitor liver enzymes

Mode of delivery and breastfeeding have not
been documented in transmission

Role of scalp clip in possible transmission may
alter care patterns

Test babies with PCR at 3 to 6 months and if
positive, repeat again at 18 months
Pain Management in Labour
What can affect a woman’s pain?
Personal factors







Past negative experience
Sexual abuse history
Fear, anxiety
Cultural perspective
Tolerance
Labour: Occiput Posterior
position
Previous pelvic fracture
Hospital factors






Lack of support
Unwanted support
Loss of control
Hypervigilence
Lack of privacy
Harsh behaviour by
staff
Labour and Delivery Issues

Adequate analgesia: opioid-dependent women
may require larger doses of analgesics  will not
worsen addiction

Avoid a fetal scalp clip to prevent transmission of
Hep B/C & HIV

Injection drug users may have poor IV access 
planned IV access is recommended in case of
emergency
Postpartum Issues

Rooming-in is the best option to encourage attachment and
good parenting

Women may room in even if there is a planned removal of
infant (to promote bonding and resilience)

If baby needs to go nursery, parents should accompany and
be encouraged to hold and cuddle infant 24/7 if wanted

Encourage breastfeeding and regular visits with infant

Frequent f/u visits for mom & baby to assess coping skills
and neonatal growth

If UDS are medically needed, better to obtain consent from
the mother
Postpartum Care

Ensure there are enough community supports in
place before discharge to prevent relapse

Assess social support

Assist with basic needs (food, clothing, shelter)

Monitor for mood disorders

Link parents to community supports and
parenting resources

Work with child protection as needed
Risks of Heavy Prenatal
Alcohol Use

Alcohol passes through placenta & fetus has
limited ability to metabolize alcohol

Alcohol is a known teratogen  can damage
developing fetal cells, umbilical cord & placenta

Prenatal exposure to alcohol results in:
1.
Increased risk of spontaneous abortion and stillbirth
Increased risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
(FASD) – umbrella term encompassing fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS), alcohol-related birth defects and
alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders
2.
Safe Limits of Alcohol

Dose-response relationship between the amount
of prenatal alcohol consumed and the extent of
damage in the infant

There is NO safe timing for alcohol use during
pregnancy

There is NO confirmed safe limit for alcohol use
in pregnancy
Therefore, NO alcohol is the safest choice!
Social Alcohol Use Prior to
Pregnancy

A meta-analysis failed to show any adverse fetal
effects after social drinking (defined as greater than 2
drinks/week and up to and including 2 drinks/day)

Moderate alcohol consumption before realizing
that conception had occurred showed no
increased risk of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth
or premature birth

Women should be reassured and counseled to
abstain for the duration of the pregnancy

Advise Folic Acid during pregnancy
Assisting if Low-Risk
Alcohol Use

Brief interventions have been shown to be
effective in modifying alcohol use during
pregnancy

Consider the following for pregnant woman
with history of low-risk drinking:
1.
Advise patient that it is safest to stop drinking.
Advise patient to reduce drinking, if unable to stop.
Advise by providing personalized feedback & info.
Assist by providing continued follow-up & support and
referral to appropriate resources, as needed.
2.
3.
4.
Assisting if High-Risk Use
If the pregnant woman indicates high-risk drinking:
1.
Assess level of motivation and readiness to change
drinking behaviour & severity of dependence
2.
Offer intervention(s) depending on stage of change and
level of alcohol dependence (e.g., medical detoxification)
3.
Advise her to reduce drinking, if unable to stop
4.
Arrange referral to appropriate programs/services
5.
Deal with barriers to attending treatment (e.g., family)
Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy

Increased risk of spontaneous abortion

Increased risk of vaginal bleeding (placental
abruption and placenta previa) and premature
delivery

Increased risk of lower birth weight baby (150200g less)

Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS), bronchitis & pneumonia, otitis media in
children
Smoking Cessation

Advise women to quit smoking

Advise woman to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke – family/friends should not smoke
around pregnant woman or infant, do not allow
smoking in home or vehicle

Educate about effects of smoking in pregnancy

Refer to Smokers’ Helpline or Motherisk

Offer Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) poses no
more adverse effects than smoking during
pregnancy

Offer NRT if unable to quit on own
1 pack/day = 20mg nicotine (plasma level)
 1 Patch
= 7-21mg
 Gum
= 2-4 mg/piece (max 12mg/day)


NRT doubles smoking cessation rates at 1 year
Marijuana

No studies have established safe limits in
pregnancy

No significant neonatal effects

Heavy users may be at risk for preterm delivery

Possible neurobehavioural effects in neonate
(increased jitteriness, increased tremors)

Possible long-term effects described in children
exposed in utero
cont’d
Marijuana
(2)

No specific therapy for withdrawal

Dependence managed by encouraging
decrease in amount used if unable to abstain
from marijuana use (harm reduction)

Marijuana is transferred into breast milk and
abstinence is encouraged
Cocaine and Other Stimulants

Possibly teratogenic renal tract abnormalities
(conflicting evidence in the literature)

Increased rate of obstetrical complications






Spontaneous abortion
Placental abruption, placenta previa
Premature rupture of membranes
Preterm labour
Low birth rate
Cerebral hemorrhage in utero
cont’d
Cocaine and Other Stimulants (2)

Can stop use safely during pregnancy
No specific therapy for withdrawal – care is
supportive
 Can initially use short-acting benzodiazepines
for anxiety and craving

cont’d
Cocaine and Other Stimulants (3)

If mother intoxicated at time of delivery neonate can
have mild central nervous system effects – such as poor
feeding and sleepiness

Comfort Measures for neonate



Touch and cuddles by mother
Room-in with mother
Breastfeeding
cont’d
Cocaine and Other Stimulants (4)

Enters breast milk

Avoid breastfeeding within three days of use
(pump and discard)

Long-term effects have been reported in
literature (not definitive)


Language delays (expressive and verbal
comprehension)
Behavioural problems at school
Opiates
(1)

Women can take medically prescribed opiates in
moderate doses during pregnancy without being
considered dependent

Opioids can have a direct effect on fetal outcome with
intrauterine growth restriction and low-birth weight –
especially heroin use and prescription opioid abuse

Women who are opioid-dependent also have higher rates
of obstetrical complications: spontaneous abortion,
preterm labour in T3 and fetal distress
cont’d
Opiates (2)

Standard of care for opioid dependence in
pregnancy- Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT)

Methadone maintained pregnancies have improved
outcomes

Methadone dose should be maintained during
labour

Some women will need a reduction in methadone
dose postpartum
cont’d
Opiates (3)
Maternal Withdrawal
 If not on methadone, can use morphine for the
management of withdrawal
Neonatal Withdrawal
 Some babies of women on opiates will
experience neonatal withdrawal



Comfort measures
Some babies will need replacement opiates
Oral Morphine can be used in small doses to manage
symptoms
cont’d
Opiates (4)

Methadone enters breast milk

Safe to breastfeed on methadone regardless of
dose

Neonates should be observed at least 4-5 days
for signs of withdrawal

Ensure close follow-up of mother and baby
Conclusion

Woman-centered, nonjudgmental care needed

Know the substances commonly used in your
community

Treat substance use when woman is ready for
treatment

Consider Harm Reduction if abstinence is not
possible initially
Resources
(1)

Pregnancy-related issues the management of
addictions (PRIMA): www.addictionpregnancy.ca

Best Start: www.beststart.org

PREGNETS: www.pregnets.org

Smokers’ Helpline Ontario: 1-877-513-5333

Project CREATE: www.addictionmedicine.ca

Motherisk: www.motherisk.org
Resources
(2)

BC Doctors Stop Smoking Program www.bcdssp.com

BC HealthFile info Sheet.
http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile38d.stm

Babies Best chance Handbook
http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/cpa/pulications/babybestcha
nce.pdf

Is it Safe for my Baby?

Info sheets, posters – AADAC www.aadac.com

AADAC Help Guide for Professionals www.aadac.com

BCRCP Guidelines: www.rcp.gov.bc.ca

Smart Guide

Exposure to Psychotropic Medications and Other Substances
During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A Handbook for Health Care
Providers. Free from CAMH. www.camh.net
Booklet – CAMH
www.camh.net
Pregnancy-Related Issues in the Management of Addictions
Slide presentation developed by members of
the National PRIMA group:
Ron Abrahams*
 Talar Boyajian
 Jennifer Boyd
 Wendy Burgoyne
 Katherine Cardinal
 Rosa Dragonetti
 Lisa Graves*
 Phil Hall

*Principal Authors
Samuel Harper
 Georgia Hunt*
 Meldon Kahan
 Theresa Kim
 Lisa Lefebvre
 Nick Leyland
 Margaret Leslie
 Deana Midmer*

Stephanie Minorgan*
 Pat Mousmanis*
 Alice Ordean*
 Sarah Payne*
 Peter Selby
 Melanie Smith
 Ron Wilson
 Suzanne Wong

[email protected]