Effects of Methamphetamine Use in Women During Pregnancy Affect to Birth and Newborn Child

Abstract

Objective: To investigate potential complications in both mothers and infants among pregnant women whose urine tests positive for methamphetamine.

Method: This is a retrospective comparative study of pregnant women with and without methamphetamine positive urine tests who came to deliver at Nakhon Phanom Hospital, Nakhon Phanom Province, between January 2022 and December 2023, by collecting data from medical records. Pregnant women with positive and negative urine methamphetamine test results were assigned to the study and control groups, respectively. Comparative analysis of general data, maternal and infant birth outcomes using SPSS.

Results: 321 samples were included, consisting of 87 and 234 pregnant women in the study group and 234 the control group, respectively. Both groups’ baseline data were similar in age and body mass index. The results showed that women in the study group had a significantly lower mean gestational age and number of prenatal care visits than the control group (37.2/38.3 weeks and 5.2/11.3 times), respectively. The study group had more complications than the control group, including premature birth and postpartum hemorrhage (OR 5.70; 95%CI 2.19,14.82 and OR 37.28; 95%CI 4.78, 291.48).

Conclusions: Methamphetamine use during pregnancy causes complications in pregnant women, including premature birth and postpartum hemorrhage. This is most commonly found in women with an education level below a bachelor’s degree, who are not employed, and who do not seek continuous prenatal care.

Keywords: Methamphetamine, complications, premature birth, postpartum hemorrhage