Drug exposure during pregnancy

The use of drugs during pregnancy can lead to various negative health outcomes including preterm labour, cardiac anomalies, reduced cognitive development and infant death. Drugs include: cocaine, gas/glue, hallucinogens, marijuana, methadone, narcotics, opioids and other drugs.

Drug use during pregnancy is known to incur risk to the unborn baby, and is considered socially undesirable. As a result, it is difficult to obtain accurate estimates of drug use in pregnant women due to potential unwillingness to disclose drug use during pregnancy.

Key findings:

Notes:

Figure: Annual proportion of women who were exposed to drugs during pregnancy, by geographic area, 2013 to 2016

Graph depicting Annual proportion of women who were exposed to drugs during pregnancy, by geographic area, 2013 to 2016. Data found in tables below.

Table: Annual proportion of women who were exposed to drugs during pregnancy, by geographic area, 2013 to 2016

Geographic Area2013201420152016
Sudbury and districts4.13.65.75.0
Ontario1.81.82.02.1

Table: Annual number of women who were exposed to drugs during pregnancy, by geographic area, 2013 to 2016

Geographic Area2013201420152016
Sudbury and districts787010792
Ontario2,4392,5082,7052,870

This item was last modified on October 26, 2018