Media release

Pregnancy, parenting and illicit drugs: what about the kids? -Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, 5th Annual Congress, Canberra

Pregnancy is a time when women who use illicit drugs tend to review their lives, with the focus shifting from their addiction to a genuine concern to protect their children.

A study into the strategies adopted by women who are illicit drug users - during pregnancy and as parents of young children - forms the basis of a paper to be presented to the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) 5th Annual Congress in Canberra this Thursday.

The study was conducted by Dr Gabriele Bammer, Acting Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, at the Australian National University, and her colleague, Kim Richter.

Involving interviews with 22 women, the study found that there was universal commitment by those surveyed to protect their children from drug-related harm.

"However, more needs to be done to help them in their efforts to protect their children from direct and indirect drug-related harm," Dr Bammer said.

Dr Bammer said the study had determined the following preferred strategies:

1. Stop using drugs

2. Go into treatment

3. Maintain a stable habit

4. Shield children from drug-related activities

5. Keep the home environment stable, safe and secure

6. Stay out of jail, and

7. If the children's needs still cannot be met, place them with a trusted care-giver and maintain as active a parental role as possible.

The study found that increasing the range of treatment options can help women meet these strategies. Two new treatments - buprenorphine and naltrexone - both increase the detoxification options and might be useful in expanding the range of maintenance options. However, they are not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and are very expensive.

It is not yet known how effective naltrexone is for pregnant women and parents, and the safety of naltrexone and buprenorphine in pregnancy or when breastfeeding has not been established.

The study found that four other treatment options - LAAM, slow-release oral morphine, injectable methadone and injectable diamorphine (heroin) - warrant further assessment as to their effectiveness in helping women succeed in their child protection strategies.

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