Trauma and intravenous drug use among pregnant alcohol/other drug abusing women: Factors in predicting child abuse potential.

Because there is limited empirical literature addressing child abuse potential (CAP) in pregnant substance users, our study investigated associations between trauma, route of drug administration (IV use), and CAP in pregnant substance abusers. As an ancillary investigation to protocol CTN-0013 (Motivational Enhancement Therapy to Improve Treatment Utilization and Outcome in Pregnant Substance Users), the authors explored this association using CAP as both a continuous and dichotomous measure, and with both narrow-band (i.e., PTSD) and broad-band (i.e., anxious arousal, depression, and anger/irritability) trauma symptoms. Participants were 44 ethnically diverse substance using pregnant women (61.4% Hispanic, 15.3% Native American, and 15.3% Caucasian) who had completed CTN-0013. The authors found that women in the sample reported high CAP, with 43% reaching the conservative CAP cutoff, and the majority of women (56%) meeting the more liberal CAP cutoff. Trauma symptoms, both narrow- and broad-band, as well as IV status, accounted for significant and unique CAP variance. Results suggest that both trauma and IV use are significant predictors of child abuse potential, and that because of the high levels of child abuse potential among this group of low SES, ethnically diverse pregnant women, preventative interventions targeted toward child abuse potential are warranted for this population.

Related protocols: CTN-0013, CTN-0013-A-1