PROSPECTIVE SURVEY OF USE OF THERAPEUTIC DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND CIGARETTES DURING PREGNANCY

Use of drugs during pregnancy was recorded prospectively in 2765 women attending the antenatal clinics of a general hospital from October 1982 to March 1984. Of these women, 2588 (93.6%) avoided exposure to drugs during the first trimester, 1802 (65.2%) took no drugs at any stage, 963 (34.8%) took a total of 154 different drugs from 35 groups of drugs, and 243 (8.8%) took a self administered drug. The most commonly used drugs were non-narcotic analgesics, usually self administered, and antibacterials. The last survey of use of drugs in pregnancy in the United Kingdom 20 years ago showed fewer women avoiding drugs throughout pregnancy (195 of 911 (21.4%), p < 0.001) and in the first trimester (685(75.2%), p < 0.001) and many more women taking a self administered drug (586(64.4%), p < 0.001) than at present. Most women nowadays abstain totally from alcohol (1786(64.6%) v 109(12.0%) previously, p < 0.001), but while more women are non-smokers compared with previously (1811(65.5%) v 392 (43%), p < 0.001) the trend has been far less dramatic than that for use of alcohol.