Opiate misuse in pregnancy: Findings of a retrospective case note series

This is a retrospective review of pregnant opiate users registered with a pregnant drug-users service between January 2001 and October 2002. The aim was to identify the obstetric and neonatal characteristics of these high-risk pregnancies, the level of contact with the service and the relationship between level of attendance and pregnancy outcome. There were no pregnancy losses during the studied period. The birth weights of 27 of 39 babies were ≤10th centile for gestational age. Associations between different antenatal variables and pregnancy outcomes were tested. The positive association between attending ≥70% of expected antenatal visits to the service and the birth weight centile reached statistical significance. This has implications for the development of models of service delivery for these high-risk pregnancies.