Use of crack in pregnancy: repercussions for the newborn

Abstract

Objective. To know the effects for the newborn of the use of crack in pregnancy. Methods. This is a qualitative study conducted in a university hospital in southern Brazil, in the first half of 2014. Fifteen mothers crack users and five grandparents participated. The data were produced through semi-structured interviews and later submitted to content analysis. Results. It was found that the use of crack in pregnancy leads to repercussions related to the health of the newborn and repercussions related to family restructuring. In relation to the newborn, prematurity, congenital malformation, hospitalization in an intensive care unit, use of care and feeding technologies through artificial milk formulas were mentioned. In the family context, it was evidenced the occurrence of abandonment of the child by the mother, causing the adoption of the newborn by relatives of the family nucleus or their institutionalization due to lack of family structure. Conclusion. It was found that the use of crack in pregnancy leads to repercussions related to the health of the newborn and repercussions related to family restructuring. In this sense, the recruitment of pregnant users of crack by health/nursing professionals and referral for high-risk prenatal care, as well as early identification of the peculiarities of the newborns of these women, and the development of actions that minimize the repercussions of crack are imperative.Descriptors: infant, newborn; pregnant women; postpartum period; cocaína crack; nursing.Uso del crack durante el embarazo: repercusiones para el recién nacido Objetivo. Conocer las repercusiones para el recién nacido por el consumo de crack durante el embarazo. Método. Estudio cualitativo realizado en un hospital universitario en el sur de Brasil, en el primer semestre de 2014. Participaron quince puérperas usuarias de crack durante la gestación y cinco abuelos. Los datos se recolectaron en entrevistas semiestructuradas y Use of crack in pregnancy: repercussions for the newborn posteriormente se sometieron a análisis de contenido. Resultados. Para los participantes del estudio el uso de crack en la gestación llevó a repercusiones relacionadas con la salud del recién nacido, como prematuridad, malformación congénita, internación en unidad de cuidado intensivo, uso de tecnologías de cuidado y alimentación mediante fórmulas lácteas artificiales. Por otra parte, en el ámbito familiar produjo abandono del niño por por parte de la madre lo que derivo en la adopción del recién nacido por parientes del núcleo familiar o su institucionalización por falta de estructura familiar adecuada. Conclusión. Se constató que el uso de crack en la gestación conlleva a repercusiones relacionadas con la salud del recién nacido y con la desestructuración familiar. En este sentido, se hace indispensable la captación de las gestantes usuarias de crack por los profesionales de la salud y por enfermería para la realización del control prenatal de alto riesgo, así como la identificación precoz de las necesidades de los recién nacidos y...

Newborn outcomes exposure to crack cocaine during pregnancy: a critical review

“…Regarded to neurologic outcomes, several behavior abnormalities were cited. While, just one study observe association with malformations (Xavier, Gomes, Ribeiro, Mota, & Alvarez, 2017).…”

“…The results show innumerous negative outcomes for newborn health. Concerning the common physiological outcomes, low birth weight (Aghamohammadi & Zafari, 2016;Bateman, Ng, Hansen, & Heagarty, 1993;Behnke et al, 2001;Bender et al, 1995;R Cherukuri, Minkoff, Feldman, A, & Glass, 1988;Radha Cherukuri, Howard, Parekh, Feldman, & Glass, 1987;Fiocchi & Kingree, 2001;Leblanc, 1987;Mardini et al, 2016Mardini et al, , 2017Parcianello et al, 2018;Sprauve, Lindsay Michael K., Herbert, & Graves, 1997;Zavaschi et al, 2014) preterm delivery (Aghamohammadi & Zafari, 2016;Bateman et al, 1993;Behnke et al, 2001;R Cherukuri et al, 1988;Radha Cherukuri et al, 1987;Eyler et al, 1998;Fiocchi & Kingree, 2001;Leblanc, 1987;Reis & Loureiro, 2015;Sprauve et al, 1997;Xavier et al, 2017) and small for gestational age (Behnke et al, 2001;Leblanc, 1987;Reis & Loureiro, 2015) were well establish risk between newborn exposure to crack cocaine during pregnancy (dos Santos et al, 2018). The low 5-minute Apgar score (Parcianello et al, 2018;Sprauve et al, 1997) and small head circunference (Behnke et al, 2001;R Cherukuri et al, 1988;Radha Cherukuri et al, 1987;Leblanc, 1987) were also reported as a risk to crack cocaine exposure.…”

“…It is important to highlight the fact that newborn of crack cocaine user mothers are private of breastfed, do not receiving benefits of breast milk, which get worse birth outcomes and may affect the health adult life (Xavier et al, 2017). Breast milk is an extremely complex and highly variable fluid to nourish infants and protect them from disease whilst their own immune system matures.…”

“…Another important physiological newborn outcome reported were several congenital malformations such as, cleft palate and cleft lip, anomalies of mandible and ear, microcephaly, born without a lung and congenital malformation (Xavier et al, 2017). Regarding malformations outcomes, there were still no consensuses (Sprauve et al, 1997).…”

“…Also, newborn from crack cocaine user mothers frequently receive inadequate prenatal care (Sprauve et al, 1997) or abnegate the addiction on this moment, which make more difficult the identification of newborn at risk (Camargo & Martins, 2014). Indeed of physiological outcomes observed, series of psychological consequence on postnatal may affect the newborns, since their mothers, in general, do not form affective bonds, experience mothering and frequently abandoned their babies (Xavier et al, 2017;Yabuuti & Bernardy, 2014).…”