Birth outcomes for infants born to women participating in integrated substance abuse treatment programs: A meta-analytic review

Background: Infants born to women with substance abuse issues are at increased risk for prematurity, low birth weight, and impaired physical development. Integrated programs (programs that integrate on-site pregnancy-, parenting-, or child-related services with substance use treatment) have been developed to address these risks, barriers to accessing care, and the unique needs of pregnant women who abuse substances. Method: To examine the effects of integrated programs on birth outcomes, we compiled a database of 10 studies (N = 2471) of integrated programs published between 1990 and 2009 with birth outcome data. Data were summarized and meta-analyses were performed. Results: Compared to women with substance abuse issues not in treatment, women in integrated programs had infants with significantly higher birth weights, larger head circumferences, fewer birth complications, positive toxicology screens, and low birth weight classifications (d's = 0.42–0.87). Women in integrated programs attended significantly more prenatal visits (d = 2.20) and had significantly fewer pre-term births (d = 0.35) than women in non-integrated programs. Conclusions: This is the first systematic quantitative review of studies evaluating the impact of integrated programs on birth outcomes. Findings suggest that integrated programs may be associated with advantages over non-integrated programs in increasing women's participation in prenatal care and decreasing premature delivery. This review highlights the need for further research with improved methodology, study quality, and reporting to improve our understanding of how best to meet the needs of pregnant women with substance abuse issues.