American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 199, Issue 6, Supplement B , Pages S333-S339, December 2008

The clinical content of preconception care: alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug exposures

  • R. Louise Floyd, DSN, RN

      Affiliations

    • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints: R. Louise Floyd RN, DSN, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Fetal Alcohol Prevention Team, 1825 Century Center, E86, Atlanta, GA 30345
    • ,
  • Brian W. Jack, MD

      Affiliations

    • Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
    • ,
  • Robert Cefalo, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
    • ,
  • Hani Atrash, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
    • ,
  • Jeanne Mahoney, BSN, RN

      Affiliations

    • American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington, DC
    • ,
  • Anne Herron, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD
    • ,
  • Corinne Husten, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Partnership for Prevention, Washington, DC
    • ,
  • Robert J. Sokol, MD

      Affiliations

    • Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

Received 17 June 2008; received in revised form 11 September 2008; accepted 18 September 2008.

Substance abuse poses significant health risks to childbearing-aged women in the United States and, for those who become pregnant, to their children. Alcohol is the most prevalent substance consumed by childbearing-aged women, followed by tobacco, and a variety of illicit drugs. Substance use in the preconception period predicts substance use during the prenatal period. Evidence-based methods for screening and intervening on harmful consumption patterns of these substances have been developed and are recommended for use in primary care settings for women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or at risk for becoming pregnant. This report describes the scope of substance abuse in the target population and provides recommendations from the Clinical Working Group of the Select Panel on Preconception Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for addressing alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among childbearing-aged women.

Key words: alcohol, preconception, substance abuse, women

 

 The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Conflict of Interest: R. Louise Floyd, DSN, RN; Brian W. Jack, MD; Robert Cefalo, MD, PhD; Hani Atrash, MD, MPH; Jeanne Mahoney, BSN, RN; Anne Herron, PhD; and Robert J. Sokol, MD have no conflict of interest including grants, honoraria, advisory board membership, or share holdings. Corinne Husten, MD, MPH is on the board of Directors for the North American Quitline consortium and her family owns some stock in Pfizer, New York, NY; and Johnson and Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ.

PII: S0002-9378(08)01078-8

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2008.09.018

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 199, Issue 6, Supplement B , Pages S333-S339, December 2008