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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).
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