Alcohol and substance abuse identified during pregnancy: maternal morbidity, child morbidity and welfare interventions
Acta Pediatrica, 03/30/2012

Sarkola T et al. – Postnatal maternal abuse–related morbidity is associated with significant early child morbidity, use of medication, and timing of out–of–home care.

• A register-based longitudinal retrospective cohort study.
• The exposed cohort included 638 children born to 524 women followed-up during pregnancy for alcohol or substance abuse 1992-2001.
• Non-exposed children (n=1914) born to control women were matched for maternal age, parity, number of fetuses, month of birth, and delivery hospital of the index child.
• Perinatal and follow-up data of both cohorts was collected from national registers until 2007.

• Postnatal maternal abuse-related health care utilization and use of medication was associated with child out-of-home care.
• Significant differences were in particular observed in the categories of maternal mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use as well as injury and poisoning.
• Maternal inpatient care for mental and behavioral disorders peaked at the time of child out-of-home care.
• Maternal abuse-related health care utilization was associated with early child health care utilization and use of medication for mental and behavioral disorders.
• These associations were largely explained by the association with child out-of-home care.