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Illegal Drug Use and Pregnancy
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Did You Know?
Pregnant women who use drugs such as heroin, cocaine,
marijuana, PCP, methadone, and/or amphetamines may give
birth to drug-addicted babies. Many of these babies
experience withdrawal symptoms known as neonatal
abstinence syndrome (NAS). Symptoms of NAS may
include:
- tremors
- increased sensitivity to noise or other stimuli
- feeding problems
- poor coordination
- excessive crying and/or irritability
Source: National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)
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The risks involved with illegal drug use during
pregnancy:
The effects of illegal drugs, such as cocaine, can be devastating
on a fetus. Unfortunately, many women of childbearing age
in the US use some form of illegal drug.
A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases
her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections,
hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also is at greater
risk for sexually transmitted diseases.
A laboratory test, called a chromatography, performed on
a woman’s urine can detect many illegal drugs, including
marijuana and cocaine. Both marijuana and cocaine, as well
as other illegal drugs, can cross the placenta. Marijuana
use during pregnancy may be linked to behavioral problems
in the baby. Cocaine use can lead to premature delivery of
the fetus, premature detachment of the placenta, high blood
pressure, and stillbirth. The effects of cocaine on the fetus
may include, but is not limited to:
- growth defects
- intestinal abnormalities
- hyperactivity
- uncontrollable trembling
- learning problems
If a woman stops taking illegal drugs during her first trimester,
she increases her chances of having a healthy baby.
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