Table 2 Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Concept | Include | Exclude |
|---|---|---|
Sources of Evidence | Clinical guidelines, treatment protocols, best practice guidelines, policy documents, written in English and currently in use across the UK, and pertains to any setting (community, hospital, outpatient, prison) | Documents that are not clinical guidelines or other related policy documents |
| Â | Documents no longer in use, or have been superseded by a more updated version, or new guidance / policy | |
| Â | Documents not written in the English language | |
Participants | Documents about women who are pregnant or within the perinatal period who use or are in treatment for one or more of the following drugs: prescribed opioids (e.g., methadone), illicit opioids (e.g., heroin), benzodiazepines, cocaine/crack, or amphetamines during the perinatal period regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, religious affiliation, cultural identity, gender identity or sexuality | Documents solely about men, babies / children over 1 year old, women not dependent upon or do not use drugs during the perinatal period, babies born to women who do not use or are in treatment for drug use |
Documents about all babies up to one year old born to women who use or are in treatment for drug use in the perinatal period (including illicit and prescribed opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines) | Documents solely about women who use other drugs during pregnancy, such as alcohol or tobacco or cannabis, but do not use opiate substances, benzodiazepines, cocaine/crack, or amphetamines | |
Best practice support / treatment / interventions for women using drugs during the perinatal period for optimising outcomes and reducing inequalities | Documents that report on optimising outcomes for the women using, or in treatment for drug use during the perinatal period and their babies. For example, by improving health and well-being (both physical and mental health) | Â |
Reducing inequalities – for example, by providing specific support for pregnant women and mothers using drugs in the perinatal period to help them care for their babies, thus reducing the likelihood of babies being removed from their mothers and placed in care (includes all forms of local authority care, kinship care, adoption), or approaches/ interventions specifically addressing poverty and deprivation |  |