Systematic review maps the prevalence of polysubstance use in US pregnancies
A systematic review found polysubstance use during pregnancy is understudied, with wide-ranging prevalence estimates and cannabis frequently appearing as a co-used substance alongside tobacco, alcohol, or opioids.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Polysubstance use during pregnancy involved diverse combinations, with cannabis commonly appearing alongside other substances. Prevalence estimates varied widely depending on screening method and population studied.
Key Numbers
Literature from 2009-2020 reviewed. Cannabis was a common component of prenatal polysubstance use patterns alongside tobacco, alcohol, opioids, and stimulants.
How They Did This
Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. Searched four databases for articles published January 2009 to June 2020 reporting prenatal exposure to two or more substances in the US.
Why This Research Matters
Most prenatal substance use research focuses on single substances, but real-world use often involves combinations. Understanding polysubstance patterns is essential for accurate risk assessment and targeted interventions.
The Bigger Picture
Isolating the effects of cannabis in pregnancy is nearly impossible when polysubstance use is common. Until research accounts for substance combinations rather than single exposures, risk estimates for individual substances remain uncertain.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Heterogeneous study designs and exposure definitions across included studies. Prevalence estimates are highly sensitive to screening methods used. Many studies relied on self-report. Publication date cutoff (2020) may miss recent trends.
Questions This Raises
- ?How should prenatal screening protocols address polysubstance use rather than single substances?
- ?Do specific substance combinations carry higher risk than individual exposures?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis frequently appeared in prenatal polysubstance use combinations
- Evidence Grade:
- Systematic review of heterogeneous studies. Useful for mapping the landscape but limited by inconsistent methods across included studies.
- Study Age:
- Published 2023. Literature through June 2020.
- Original Title:
- Systematic Review: Polysubstance Prevalence Estimates Reported during Pregnancy, US, 2009-2020.
- Published In:
- Maternal and child health journal, 27(3), 426-458 (2023)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04985
Evidence Hierarchy
Analyzes all available research on a topic using a structured method.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common is using multiple substances during pregnancy?
Prevalence estimates varied widely across studies depending on how use was measured. The review found that polysubstance use is an underrecognized pattern in prenatal populations, with cannabis commonly appearing alongside tobacco, alcohol, or opioids.
Why does polysubstance use matter for pregnancy research?
When pregnant people use multiple substances, it becomes very difficult to attribute health effects to any single one. Most cannabis-pregnancy studies try to control for other substance use, but polysubstance patterns may create interactive effects that single-substance analyses miss.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04985APA
Tran, Emmy L; England, Lucinda J; Park, Youngjoo; Denny, Clark H; Kim, Shin Y. (2023). Systematic Review: Polysubstance Prevalence Estimates Reported during Pregnancy, US, 2009-2020.. Maternal and child health journal, 27(3), 426-458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03592-w
MLA
Tran, Emmy L, et al. "Systematic Review: Polysubstance Prevalence Estimates Reported during Pregnancy, US, 2009-2020.." Maternal and child health journal, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03592-w
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Systematic Review: Polysubstance Prevalence Estimates Report..." RTHC-04985. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/tran-2023-systematic-review-polysubstance-prevalence
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.