Published on Thursday, August 28, 2008
By LORA HINES
About 4,000 infants born between 2000 and 2005 in Riverside County may have experienced prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol, according to a recently released report.
The study, conducted by the Riverside County Department of Public Health, also found that about 5 percent of women continued to use drugs and alcohol after discovering they were pregnant in 2007.
In 2005, more than 150 newborns were hospitalized for drug or alcohol exposure, the report states.
"We've been talking to (health care) providers about the importance of screening pregnant women for drugs and alcohol," said Diane Ewing, a nurse manager and director of the department's perinatal substance abuse program. "The biggest push we have with our program is prevention."
She said more than 50 Riverside County health care providers, including doctors and clinics, are screening and educating patients about the dangers of using the slightest amount of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy
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