According to a study led by Dr. Beth Malizia of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, most women do not reveal illicit drug or alcohol use on the lifestyle questionnaires they fill out during prenatal exams.

For the study, researchers reviewed questionnaires and conducted hair and urine tests on 1,644 consenting women who received pre- and post-natal care.

At the start of the study, 226 of the 1,644 participating women either indicated they used alcohol or others drugs, or tested positive for alcohol and other drugs from the first three months prior to pregnancy through the time they delivered their baby. Of the 226, seven women tested positive for alcohol, 108 for marijuana, 47 for cocaine, and 32 for other drug use.

When the researchers compared the laboratory test results to the voluntary disclosures, they found that only 71 percent of the alcohol use, 39 percent of the cocaine use, and 27 percent of the marijuana use was disclosed on the questionnaires.

"This resulted in a total of 30 percent of substance use being identified in the conduct of routine care," Malizia said. "Not only are these preliminary exams a great time to educate women about healthier choices for themselves and their developing baby, but during this time, women tend to be much more open to the idea of seeking treatment for drug or alcohol problems they may be experiencing."

The researchers concluded that, "New techniques are needed, like more explicit forms or interviews, to improve the identification rates of drug use in pregnant women."

The study's findings were presented at the recent Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting in New Orleans, La.

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