Summary
To assess the state of maternity services for pregnant drug misusers, a postal questionnaire-based survey was carried out in England and Wales in 2005. A total of 222 questionnaires were sent with a response rate of 80.63%, reporting a total of 5,324 births to drug-misusers. Data were collated and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2003. Despite improvement in the services provided to the pregnant drug-misusers, there is wide regional variation. Hepatitis-C screening is particularly under-offered. Pre-birth meetings appear to be the way forward to optimise overall outcome. Maternity-unit staff need appropriate training for providing sufficient knowledge of drug use and its consequences for the pregnancy.
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