Characteristics of pregnant women who use ecstasy (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
E Ho, L Karimi-Tabesh, G Koren
Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2001 DOI: 10.1016/s0892-0362(01)00178-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 254 |
| Population | Pregnant women who contacted the Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto about drug, chemical, infection, or radiation exposure; 132 MDMA users and 122 nonusers |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Pregnant women who used MDMA were younger, more often single and White, and had more unplanned pregnancies than nonusers, and they more frequently smoked, drank alcohol, binge drank, and used other illicit drugs. The authors argue these clustered risk factors may compromise the pregnancy and fetus and should be accounted for when defining MDMA's direct effects in pregnancy. |
Abstract
To determine the characteristics of pregnant women who use Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA), and to identify reproductive risk factors associated with this group of women. Prospective, observational study. Pregnant women who have contacted the Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at The Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, about exposure to drugs, chemicals, infection or radiation. All inquiries from December 1998 to October 2000 concerning pregnant women who reported use of MDMA, and control cases of women not exposed to MDMA selected within the same week of the MDMA callers. Age, maternal demographics, pregnancy characteristics, patterns of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use, psychological/emotional status, sexually transmitted disease, MDMA method and pattern of use, and adverse drug reactions after ingestion of MDMA. The 132 pregnant women who used MDMA were significantly younger (mean 23.2 vs. 31.2 years, P<.0001), and had more unplanned pregnancies compared to 122 pregnant nonusers (84.2% vs. 54.3%, P<.05). MDMA users were also more likely to be single (57.0% vs. 18.3%, P<.001), and to be White (82.2% vs. 56.0%, P<.05). Comparably more MDMA users smoked cigarettes (53.8% vs. 19.7%, P<.0001), drank alcohol (66.4% vs. 37.3%, P<.0001), and had significantly more episodes of binge drinking during pregnancy (mean 2.12 vs. 0.05, P<.001). Illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, ketamine, gamma-hydroxy butyrate, and psilocybin were used more frequently among the MDMA sample. Over a third of MDMA users reported psychiatric/emotional problems, including 6.5% with a clinically diagnosed condition that was being treated with medication and/or counseling. Pregnant women who use MDMA tend to be young, single, and report psychological morbidity, and have a clustering of risk factors that may compromise the pregnancy and fetus. Smoking, heavy alcohol intake, and polydrug use, combined with a higher than expected rate of unplanned pregnancies, increases the risk of fetal exposure to potentially harmful substances. It is important to account for the range of confounding risk factors among women who use MDMA in order to define possible direct effects of MDMA in pregnancy.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Individuals who took MDMA in a clinical setting | 1986 | Observational study | |
| Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Abstinent MDMA users | 1998 | Observational cohort | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Older, more educated, drug-experienced individuals | 1986 | Observational cohort | |
| Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Young people who were regular or novice MDMA users, or non-users | 1998 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 23
- Exposure to 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on postnatal days 11–20 induces reference but not working memory deficits in the Morris water maze in rats: implications of prior learning International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience August 1, 2004
- Developmental 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impairs sequential and spatial but not cued learning independent of growth, litter effects or injection stress Brain Research March 25, 2003
- A developmental comparison of the neurobehavioral effects of ecstasy (MDMA) Neurotoxicology and Teratology October 21, 2006
- Neurotoxic effects of MDMA (“ecstasy”) administration to neonatal rats International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience June 5, 2004
- Occurrence and use of hallucinogenic mushrooms containing psilocybin alkaloids TemaNord May 19, 2009
and 18 more in the library
Cites 7
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- Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug British Journal of Addiction August 1, 1992
- 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans Addiction May 1, 1994
- MDMA (Ecstasy) and the Rave: A Review Pediatrics October 1, 1997
- Is the Use of Ecstasy and Hallucinogens Increasing? European Addiction Research 1998
and 2 more in the library