CHAMP® Clinic
Mater’s CHAMP Clinic is a Mater Mothers’ Hospital service which offers antenatal care by a midwife and obstetrician. CHAMP® stands for: Continuity of care by Health professionals addressing Alcohol and drug problems and Mothers’ needs for Positive outcomes.
The clinic provides care to pregnant women who:
- are not able to stop using recreational drugs
- have stopped recreational drug use, but are at risk of relapse
- are drug dependent
- are on opioid replacement therapies.
What happens at CHAMP Clinic?
CHAMP is a specialised antenatal clinic that provides:
- midwife antenatal health checks
- access to an obstetrician and medical team
- health information
- management of alcohol and drug use issues
- social worker support
- referral to other health/support services
- parenting information and advice
- early discharge planning.
At CHAMP Clinic, staff have knowledge and experience in:
- helping women who use alcohol or illicit drugs to quit and prevent relapse
- opioid replacement therapies
- current treatment options for drug dependence
- blood-borne viral infections (e.g. hepatitis C)
- supporting women with other psychosocial problems
- advocating for pregnant women with special needs.
CHAMP Clinic staff can provide information on:
How substance use may affect your pregnancy
It is not only the type of substance used, but how much and how often, that determines possible effects. While obstetric and other complications occur in all antenatal patient-groups, women who consume alcohol at higher than recommended safe levels in pregnancy, who have binge-type illicit drug use or those who inject drugs, are at increased risk of having complications.
How substance use may affect an unborn baby
While a lot is known about adverse effects to unborn babies from alcohol and tobacco, new information on effects from illicit drug use is now emerging.
The risk of a newborn baby withdrawing from their mother’s drug-use
Any baby who is regularly exposed to (maternal) substance use in utero, needs to be assessed by a neonatologist (baby doctor) for risk of developing neonatal withdrawals.
Whether it is okay to breastfeed
There are many benefits gained from breastfeeding for a woman and her baby so women are encouraged to abstain from regular or binge-type drug use so that they can breastfeed their baby.
Early discharge planning
Early discharge planning ensures women are prepared for their baby’s arrival and that they have adequate support to help them care for baby in the early postnatal period.
Maintaining a healthy pregnancy includes:
- good antenatal care, nutrition and sleep
- plenty of rest and relaxation
- abstaining from alcohol and drugs
- preparing for baby.
Being Baby Safe
CHAMP advises parents to provide a smoke-free, drug-free and safe home environment for their baby and use family supports to ensure that they have plenty of help and adequate rest in those first few weeks after baby’s birth.
How to contact staff of CHAMP Clinic
To consult on a matter of perinatal substance use, hospital clinical staff are available to take your call. Contact Mater Mothers' Hospital's NIDS project coordinator on:
E-mail: champ@mater.org.au
Phone: 07 3163 2417
Fax: 07 3163 1660
Or: contact Mater Mothers’ Hospital Antenatal Clinic on 07 3163 8330