Pregnant women's perceptions of drug use during pregnancy and its implications for the mother and fetus
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62872/4s1mxa74Keywords:
Pregnancy, Drug Use, Maternal Health, Fetal DevelopmentAbstract
Pregnancy is a critical phase that demands careful attention to maternal health and well-being. However, the use of medication during pregnancy remains a controversial issue, often accompanied by confusion and fear. This study aims to explore pregnant women’s perceptions of drug use, assess their level of knowledge regarding drug safety, and examine the implications of these perceptions for maternal and fetal health. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed with 120 pregnant women as respondents, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The results revealed that 68.3% of respondents had negative perceptions of drug use during pregnancy, and 52.5% had low knowledge about medication safety. A significant relationship was found between perception and adherence to prescribed medication (p = 0.004). The findings highlight the urgent need for improved health education and counseling to ensure the safe and effective use of medication during pregnancy. Strengthening the role of healthcare providers in delivering accurate information can reduce unnecessary risks to both mothers and their unborn children.
Downloads
References
Barry, J. M., Birnbaum, A. K., Jasin, L. R., & Sherwin, C. M. (2021). Maternal exposure and neonatal effects of drugs of abuse. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 61, S142-S155.
Bayrampour, H., Zahradnik, M., Lisonkova, S., & Janssen, P. (2019). Women's perspectives about cannabis use during pregnancy and the postpartum period: An integrative review. Preventive medicine, 119, 17-23.
Bornstein, M., Gipson, J. D., Bleck, R., Sridhar, A., & Berger, A. (2019). Perceptions of pregnancy and contraceptive use: An in-depth study of women in Los Angeles methadone clinics. Women's Health Issues, 29(2), 176-181.
Chang, J. C., Tarr, J. A., Holland, C. L., De Genna, N. M., Richardson, G. A., Rodriguez, K. L., ... & Arnold, R. M. (2019). Beliefs and attitudes regarding prenatal marijuana use: perspectives of pregnant women who report use. Drug and alcohol dependence, 196, 14-20.
Chomchai, S., Phuditshinnapatra, J., Mekavuthikul, P., & Chomchai, C. (2019, April). Effects of unconventional recreational drug use in pregnancy. In Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 142-148). WB Saunders.
Corrales-Gutierrez, I., Mendoza, R., Gomez-Baya, D., & Leon-Larios, F. (2019). Pregnant women’s risk perception of the teratogenic effects of alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(6), 907.
Delker, B. C., Van Scoyoc, A., & Noll, L. K. (2020). Contextual influences on the perception of pregnant women who use drugs: Information about women’s childhood trauma history reduces punitive attitudes. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(1), 103-123.
Etemadi-Aleagha, A., & Akhgari, M. (2022). Psychotropic drug abuse in pregnancy and its impact on child neurodevelopment: A review. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 11(1), 1.
Frazer, Z., McConnell, K., & Jansson, L. M. (2019). Treatment for substance use disorders in pregnant women: Motivators and barriers. Drug and alcohol dependence, 205, 107652.
Latuskie, K. A., Andrews, N. C., Motz, M., Leibson, T., Austin, Z., Ito, S., & Pepler, D. J. (2019). Reasons for substance use continuation and discontinuation during pregnancy: A qualitative study. Women and Birth, 32(1), e57-e64.
Mburu, G., Ayon, S., Mahinda, S., & Kaveh, K. (2020). Determinants of women’s drug use during pregnancy: perspectives from a qualitative study. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24, 1170-1178.
Nichols, T. R., Welborn, A., Gringle, M. R., & Lee, A. (2021). Social stigma and perinatal substance use services: Recognizing the power of the good mother ideal. Contemporary Drug Problems, 48(1), 19-37.
Oni, H. T., Drake, J. A., Dietze, P., Higgs, P., & Islam, M. M. (2022). Barriers to women's disclosure of and treatment for substance use during pregnancy: A qualitative study. Women and Birth, 35(6), 576-581.
Schiff, D. M., Stoltman, J. J., Nielsen, T. C., Myers, S., Nolan, M., Terplan, M., ... & Kelly, J. (2022). Assessing stigma towards substance use in pregnancy: a randomized study testing the impact of stigmatizing language and type of opioid use on attitudes toward mothers with opioid use disorder. Journal of addiction medicine, 16(1), 77-83.
Shojaeian, Z., Khadivzadeh, T., Sahebi, A., Kareshki, H., & Tara, F. (2021). Perceived risk in women with high risk pregnancy: A qualitative study. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 26(2), 168-174.
Tsuda‐McCaie, F., & Kotera, Y. (2022). A qualitative meta‐synthesis of pregnant women's experiences of accessing and receiving treatment for opioid use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Review, 41(4), 851-862.
Vanstone, M., Panday, J., Popoola, A., Taneja, S., Greyson, D., McDonald, S. D., ... & Darling, E. (2022). Pregnant People's perspectives on cannabis use during pregnancy: A systematic review and integrative mixed‐methods research synthesis. Journal of midwifery & women's health, 67(3), 354-372.
Weber, A., Miskle, B., Lynch, A., Arndt, S., & Acion, L. (2021). Substance use in pregnancy: identifying stigma and improving care. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 105-121.
Weisbeck, S. J., Bright, K. S., Ginn, C. S., Smith, J. M., Hayden, K. A., & Ringham, C. (2021). Perceptions about cannabis use during pregnancy: a rapid best-framework qualitative synthesis. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 112, 49-59.
Wolgast, E., Lindh‐Åstrand, L., & Lilliecreutz, C. (2019). Women's perceptions of medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding—A Swedish cross‐sectional questionnaire study. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 98(7), 856-864.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nurul Hidayati, Eka Mardiana Afrilia, Olyvia Rosalia (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.