Impact of cocaine use in pregnant women: a comprehensive look from the perspective of health and rights

Authors

  • Micaela Ribecca Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Medicina. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Author
  • José Vicente Postorivo Nauman Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Medicina. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56294/shp202352

Keywords:

cocaine, pregnancy, public health, stigmatisation, rights

Abstract

The study addressed cocaine use during pregnancy as a complex problem, involving biomedical, social, legal and ethical factors. It analysed how this substance affected maternal and foetal health, causing obstetric complications such as hypertension, premature birth and intrauterine growth retardation. In addition, the barriers faced by pregnant women in accessing health services due to stigmatisation and fear of legal reprisals were described. The Argentine regulatory framework was also examined, which, although it recognised consumption as a health issue, failed to prevent punitive practices in reality. Finally, the need to implement inclusive public policies, centred on comprehensive support and respectful of human and reproductive rights, was highlighted.

References

1. Ahamohammadi A, Zafari M. Crack abuse during pregnancy: maternal, fetal and neonatal complication. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016;29(5):795-7. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25747949/

2. Blayac L, Ponte C, Lavaud M, Micallef J, Lapeyre-Mestre. Increase of cannabis and cocaine use by pregnant women in France from 2005 to 2018: Insights of the annual cross sectional OPPIDUM survey. Therapie. 2023 Mar-Apr;78(2):201-11. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36283856/

3. Chang G. Substance use during pregnancy: Overview of selected drugs. 2021. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/substance-use-during-pregnancy-overview-of-selected-drugs

4. Cook JL, Green CR, de la Ronde S, et al. Epidemiology and Effects of Substance Use in Pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2017;39(10):906-15. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28935056/

5. Dutra AGR, Oliveira AG de, Carneiro BAP, Medeiros EC, Veiga KGC, Lima RSG, et al. Complicações gestacionais relacionadas ao uso de drogas por gestantes. Rev Acervo Mais. 2021;35:e8702. Available from: https://acervomais.com.br/index.php/cientifico/article/view/8702

6. Elkafrawi D, Sisti G, Araji S, Khoury A, Miller J, Rodriguez Echevarria B. Risk Factors for Neonatal/Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in African American Women with Placental Abruption. Medicina (Kaunas). 2020;56(4):174. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32295061/

7. Garrison-Desany HM, Ladd-Acosta C, Hong X, et al. Addressing the smoking-hypertension paradox in pregnancy: insight from a multiethnic US birth cohort. Precis Nutr. 2023;2(2):e00035. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10312115/

8. Gorelick DA. Cocaine use disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pharmacology, clinical manifestations, medical consequences, and diagnosis. 2021. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/cocaine-use-disorder-in-adults-epidemiology-pharmacology-clinical-manifestations-medical-consequences-and-diagnosis

9. Hetea A, Cosconel C, Stanescu AAM, Simionescu AA. Alcohol and Psychoactive Drugs in Pregnancy. Maedica (Bucur). 2019;14(4):397-401. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32153672/

10. Hoang T, Czuzoj-Shulman N, Abenhaim HA. Pregnancy outcome among women with drug dependence: A population-based cohort study of 14 million births. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2020;49(7):101741. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32438133/

11. Jarlenski M, Krans EE, Chen Q, et al. Substance use disorders and risk of severe maternal morbidity in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020;216:108236. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32846369/

12. Jenabi E, Salimi Z, Bashirian S, Khazaei S, Ayubi E. The risk factors associated with placenta previa: An umbrella review. Placenta. 2022;117:21-7. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34768164/

13. Moraes Castro M, Pinto F, Pereiras C, Fischer A, Vogel C, Duarte V, et al. Autodeclaración del consumo de marihuana, tabaco, alcohol y derivados de cocaína en embarazadas en 2013 y 2016, Montevideo, Uruguay. Adicciones. 2020;32(3):173-80. Available from: https://www.adicciones.es/index.php/adicciones/article/view/1107/1020

14. Naciones Unidas. Claves del Informe Mundial sobre Drogas: récord de consumo de cocaína y nuevos opioides sintéticos. 2024. Available from: https://news.un.org/es/story/2024/06/1530826

15. Salemi JL, Raza SA, Modak S, Fields-Gilmore JAR, Mejia de Grubb MC, Zoorob RJ. The association between use of opiates, cocaine, and amphetamines during pregnancy and maternal postpartum readmission in the United States: A retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Readmissions Database. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020;210:10796. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32278846/

16. Samudio Domínguez GC, Correa A, Brítez Martínez IC, Vera Quintana LM, Ortiz Cuquejo LM. Frecuencia de consumo de drogas adictivas ilícitas en gestantes o puérperas y su detección en recién nacidos en un hospital materno-infantil de Asunción. Pediatr (Asunción). 2023;50(1):48-57. Available from: https://www.revistaspp.org/index.php/pediatria/article/view/747

17. Silva Moreira DJ, Santos IM, Azevedo Dunningham W. A exposição ao crack durante a gestação e suas repercussões maternas, fetais e neonatais: uma revisão sistemática. Rev Neuropsiq. 2022;26(3):84-90. Available from: https://www.revneuropsiq.com.br/rbnp/article/view/946

18. Veras Eloy Santos J, Fonseca da Silva NA, Marcolela Andreoli Sartes L, Bohrer Schuch J, Paim Kessler FH, Barbosa Terra M. Psychiatric and obstetric characteristics of pregnant crack users admitted to a referral center in Southern Brazil. J Addict Dis. 2023. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38047869/

19. Villarreal M, Belmonte V, Olivares JL, Abdala A. Health trajectories of women who used cocaine and/or cannabis during pregnancy. Retrospective cohort study in La Pampa, Argentina. [Spanish] Rev Fac Cien Med Univ Nac Cordoba. 2020 May 10;77(2):79-85. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32558509/.

Published

2025-05-21

How to Cite

1.
Ribecca M, Postorivo Nauman JV. Impact of cocaine use in pregnant women: a comprehensive look from the perspective of health and rights. South Health and Policy [Internet]. 2025 May 21 [cited 2025 Sep. 28];2:52. Available from: https://shp.ageditor.ar/index.php/shp/article/view/52