Short summary

Use of substances including tobacco, alcohol and addictive medicine in pregnancy have known significant impact on both mother and fetus. 

The Familieambulatorier are focused, specialist centers for such women at risk, providing treatment and support with the aim to prevent harm to the fetus and prevent any further maldevelopment and neglect.  

Rationale

With this study, we want to improve our ability to identify pregnant women in need of the focused support, the Danish Familieambulatorier can offer. Results from our pilot study indicate that we might overlook pregnant women with substance use. Also, it identified several problems with existing options for identifying pregnant substance users, particularly that no test is available to detect low alcohol consumption. We will conduct a screening in a nationwide sample of pregnant women to estimate a prevalence of substance use. To confirm and validate the test method, test positive urine samples will undergo confirmative analyses. 

Our hypothesis is that the number of pregnant substance users is larger than the number of pregnant women presently referred to the Familieambulatorier. We will compare self-report and results from the urine test. 

This project will generate important and unique information on the number of substance users and types of substances in a normal pregnant population.

Description of the cohort

Pregnant women when they attend for an ultrasound scan 

Data and biological material

Pregnant women when they attend for an ultrasound scan 

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital

• Professor, PhD, MD, Per Damkier

Publications associated with the project

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2015 Feb;94(2):215-9. doi: 10.1111/aogs.12528. Epub 2014 Nov 3. Prevalence of substance abuse in pregnancy among Danish women. Rausgaard NL1, Ibsen IO, Jørgensen JS, Lamont RF, Ravn P.