Drug Abuse Pregnancy

It is a well known fact that pregnancy and drug abuse are not a winning combination. When a woman becomes pregnant, it is vital to her babies health that she lead a healthy life. This includes eating plenty of nourishing food, getting plenty of rest, and exercising regularly.

For a pregnant woman, drug abuse is doubly dangerous. First, drugs may harm her own health which interferes with her ability to support the pregnancy. Second, some drugs can directly impair prenatal development. During pregnancy, virtually all illegal drugs pose a danger. Even legal substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medications are dangerous to expecting women.

Illegal drug abuse is widespread. As many as one in 10 babies may be born to women who use illegal drugs during their pregnancies. These substances can be harmful to the health and growth of your fetus during pregnancy. Drug abuse can affect the baby both before and after birth. Most drugs reach the fetus by crossing the placenta. If the mother uses drugs after her baby is born, they can be passed to him or her through the breast milk.

Since the mid-1980's, about 1 million babies in this country have been born to mothers who used cocaine during pregnancy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine is a dangerous drug for unborn babies and for pregnant women. Babies exposed to cocaine before birth may face health problems, ranging from subtle to life threatening. However, because most pregnant women who use cocaine also use other drugs, like alcohol and tobacco, it is difficult to determine which health problems are caused solely by cocaine use.

Heroin abuse can cause serious complications during pregnancy, including miscarriage and premature delivery. Children born to addicted mothers are at greater risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) as well.

Women who abuse drugs can also damage the health of their unborn children. For example, a woman who smokes marijuana during pregnancy can put the fetus at risk for a host of dangerous problems, such as low birth weight, developmental difficulties, and even drug addiction. Similarly, a woman who drinks alcohol while pregnant�perhaps before she even realizes she's pregnant�can cause heart defects, growth retardation, and serious neurological injury to the fetus (commonly known as fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS).