Illicit drugs - infections and neonatal anthropometric characteristics.

INTRODUCTION

The effects of drug addiction in pregnancy are associated with multiple maternal, fetal and neonatal risks in the short and long term.

METHODS

This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted in the National Institute for Maternal and Child Health "Alessandrescu-Rusescu" Bucharest, Romania - "Polizu" Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology (higher level maternity hospital), includes newborns from the last 22 years (2002-2024) from mothers who used illicit drugs before and during pregnancy.

RESULTS

The incidence of newborns born to mothers with drug addiction has steadily increased over the period studied, especially in the last 12 years. Neonatal morbidity was marked by: withdrawal syndrome (61.2% of cases), risk of congenital/perinatal infections through maternal infections (58.16%), prematurity (43.87%), birth weight ≤2500g (55.10%), intrauterine growth restriction.

CONCLUSIONS

Illicit drug use in pregnancy, associated with prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, neonatal withdrawal syndrome, risk of congenital/perinatal infections through maternal infections, is an important risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality.