Acute poisoning in pregnancy: a province-wide perspective from a poison center

Abstract

Background: Poisoning in pregnancy can cause maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, but few data detail such events. Herein, we describe poisoning exposures in pregnant women identified by a large Canadian Poison Centre.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated poisoning exposures in pregnant women aged 12–60 years, reported to the Ontario Poison Centre from 2010 to 2017. Exposures were identified from the Poison Centre database by calls received, in which the patient was also reported to be pregnant. We collected patient demographics (age, trimester, and location), as well as information about the poisoning exposure (number and type of substances, route of exposure, reason for exposure, decontamination, and treatment recommendations).

Results: There were 1716 cases of poisoning exposures during pregnancy over the eight-year study period, representing 0.28% of all 619,539 calls over the period. Median maternal age was 29 years (IQR 25–33), and exposures were most frequent in the second trimester of pregnancy (41%). Unintentional exposures (n = 1397) accounted for 81% of all calls. Of the 18% of calls (n = 305) for intentional exposures, 71% (n = 219) were suspected attempted suicides. Intentional exposures were more frequent in the first (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.85–3.76) and second trimesters (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.13–2.28), relative to third trimester. The associated risk of intentional exposures was more likely in women aged ≤19 years (OR 21.41, 95% CI 12.75–35.94) and 20–29 years (OR 3.72, 95% CI 2.70–5.14), relative to women ≥30 years old.

Conclusions: Intentional poisoning exposures in pregnancy most commonly involve young women in the first two trimesters. Population-based studies are needed to further examine risk factors for overdose, poisoning, and self-harm in pregnancy, as well as perinatal outcomes.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• women’s health
• poisoning
• poison center

Acknowledgments

The authors thank David Juurlink, Joel Ray, Donald Redelmeier, and Shital Gandhi for helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript.

Disclosures statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 General exposures refer to unintentional poisonings that do not fall into one of the following exposures types: environmental, occupational, therapeutic error, misuse, bite/sting, food poisoning, and unknown.