Smoking and doing drugs during pregnancy can have a significant negative impact on the health of the developing baby and the mother. Although the effects of smoking and drug use are still being studied, experts agree that both are unsafe during pregnancy. The March of Dimes, a nonprofit group dedicated to preventing birth defects and premature delivery, provides a number of facts about smoking and doing drugs during pregnancy.
Types
Drugs can include illicit or street drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and club drugs like PCP. However, many experts also consider alcohol a drug, and prescription drugs can also cause significant harm to the developing baby, especially if they are unsafe for pregnancy, or are abused. The prescription acne drug accutane, psoriasis drug Soriatane (acitretin) and Thalidomide are particularly known to cause severe birth defects, such as heart problems and malformed limbs. Even over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen can increase the risk of heart defects, and aspirin taken before delivery can cause excessive bleeding in the mother.
Effects
Smoking and street drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine can increase, and perhaps even double, the risk of pre-term labor, which can cause significant health problems if the baby is born too soon. Smoking can also increase the risk of placenta previa or abruption and excessive bleeding. Babies exposed to meth are consistently smaller than most newborns, and may have heart and mouth defects. Babies who were regularly exposed to street drugs during pregnancy may also go through withdrawal after birth. This can cause them to be jittery, cry more often, have difficulty sleeping and even have breathing problems. Babies exposed to smoke or drugs may also be at higher risk of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Drug use during pregnancy may also cause attention problems later in childhood.
Size
According to a 2005 United States government survey cited by the March of Dimes, nearly 4 percent of pregnant women used street drugs during their pregnancy. In addition, about 10 percent of women smoke . The United States Public Health Service estimates that if no pregnant women smoked, there would be 11 percent less stillbirths and 5 percent fewer newborn deaths. No amount of smoking, alcohol, illicit drug use or unauthorized prescription drug use is considered safe during pregnancy.
Time Frame
Since drugs can have a negative impact in the early weeks of pregnancy, before a woman knows she is pregnant, women who may become pregnant should refrain from smoking or doing drugs. Those who find out they are pregnant should seek help to quit right away. Women who stop smoking before their third trimester can significantly reduce the risk or premature birth. Women who resume smoking after pregnancy put their children at risk of health problems, such as lung cancer, from second-hand smoke. Some prescription drugs can cause birth defects even if a woman stops taking them before becoming pregnant. In the case of the psoriasis drug Soriatane, damage can occur if a woman uses the drug up to three years before becoming pregnant.
Significance
The exact effects of smoking and doing drugs during pregnancy can be difficult to determine, since many women who use illicit drugs also have additional risk factors, such as alcohol use, poor nutrition, inadequate weight gain and a lack of prenatal health care. Pregnant women who smoke, drink alcohol, use illlicit drugs or abuse prescription or over-the-counter drugs should seek help as soon as possible. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should always consult their doctor before using any prescription or non-prescription medication.
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