A prospective study of drug use, smoking and contraceptives during early pregnancy

In a prospective study, 2436 women were interviewed regarding contraceptive technique used before pregnancy, on drug use, exposure to X-rays, smoking habits, and vaginal bleeding during the first 17 weeks of pregnancy. The study was conducted in Malmö during 1979 and early 1980. The study, compared with two similar Swedish studies made in 1963-65 in Malmö and a multicenter study from 1973-74, shows a drastic reduction of psychotropic drug use, from 13.5% to 3.0% and of hormone use from 3.75 to 1.1%. The use of analgetics, however, shows an increase, from 27% to 60.7%. For antibiotic and antihistamine use there is little or no difference. The study shows no connection between drug use and fetal malformation. Smoking habits have changed--the number of non-smokers is the same but the proportion of heavy smokers (more than 10 cigs/day) has decreased from 8.9% to 1.5%. 18 (0.8%) women become pregnant while using oral contraceptives and 13 (0.5%) with an IUD in place.