Substance Abuse in Pregnancy

Staff collected urine samples anonymously on 100 consecutive pregnant women in a women's clinic and simultaneously on 100 admissions to the "labor deck." Urines were tested for cocaine, opiates, methadone, benzodiazepines, and TNC. Nine percent of the urines were positive in the clinic setting, and 15% were positive on the labor deck: the incidence of cocaine- and opiate-positive urines was significantly higher on the labor deck. The authors discuss the significance of these results.