This study examined the 20-year outcome of 55 women who were pregnant and using opiates in 1985 and were attending the Drug Treatment Centre Board in Dublin. We established outcome across a number of variables, including mortality, psychiatric and physical morbidity, psychosocial functioning, ongoing drug misuse and outcome of offspring.

At 20-year follow-up 29 women (53%) were deceased; HIV accounted for 17 deaths (59%). Those who were alive at follow-up displayed high rates of unemployment (84%) and of illicit substance misuse (74%), and most were dependent on state-subsidised accommodation (78%). Mortality was higher in our group than in other long-term follow-up samples. These findings suggest that such participants and their offspring require intensive long-term support and treatment.