Indiana Prenatal Substance Use Prevention Program (PSUPP)

Union Hospital was one of the original members of the Indiana Prenatal Substance Use Prevention Program (PSUPP) and helped pregnant women quit cigarette smoking as well as alcohol and drugs. The program based out of the Family Medicine Center implemented the Screen, Intervene and Follow-up (SIF) model to assess substance use and provide services to help clients stop smoking. The goal of PSUPP is the Prevention of poor birth outcomes, by assuring that babies born in Indiana are born to women who decrease or eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use during pregnancy. It was based on the premise that Indiana data indicate poor pregnancy outcomes due to maternal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. These poor outcomes include preterm labor, low birth weight, prematurity, congenital anomalies, fetal distress, stillbirth, cerebral infarction, poor developmental outcomes and other neuro-behavioral effects. PSUPP adhered to a three step approach:

• Identify high risk, chemically dependent pregnant women, provide perinatal addiction education, promote abstinence, provide referrals to treatment services, and follow-up. How: Group & individual counseling, smoking cessation, community outreach, networking with other providers, collaboration with treatment centers, and support groups.

• Provide public education on the hazards to a fetus when alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are used during pregnancy.

• Facilitate training and education for professionals and paraprofessionals who do not provide substance abuse treatment, but who work with women of childbearing age, on how to identify high risk, chemically dependent women.

To learn more about PSUPP at the state level click here for more information.