If you are thinking of getting pregnant and you want to deliver a healthy baby, then avoid using drugs during pregnancy. Illegal drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin aren’t the only drugs that can hurt your baby. Commonly used over-the-counter medications are equally harmful as the illegal one. When pregnant, you are required to take special care because any reckless behavior can leave lasting consequences on your unborn child.
Why are women warned not to use drugs?
It is possible that you may not have severe effects after consuming drugs, but that’s not the case for your unborn child. Drug-using mothers in most cases deliver “drug babies.” Later these babies have physical and mental disabilities. Many studies have confirmed that using legal or illegal drugs during pregnancy has a direct impact on the fetus. For example, if drink too much, smoke, or ingest caffeine, so does your unborn child. On the other hand, consequences are even more significant when women consume marijuana or crystal meth. The fetus will feel the direct impact, and if you are addicted to cocaine, then you are endangering the life of the fetus. During pregnancy, you could experience a heart attack, respiratory failure, and seizures, the same conditions that can be passed to an unborn baby.
There are a series of conditions such as poor memory and attentiveness and also changes in the brain structure that can happen if you consume drugs. On women, cocaine effects are temporary, but on a fetus, they can leave long-lasting consequences.
Which drugs are the most harmful ones?
Taking almost any drug during pregnancy can leave severe consequences for the fetus. For instance, a mother who used cocaine in pregnancy risk for their babies to have smaller heads and lower IQ. Babies can suffer from congenital disabilities that impact urinary tract, heart, cause a stroke and in some cases death. One of the most dangerous drugs speed can increase the risk of miscarriage and later in the pregnancy can cause pre-term labor or deficit in weight of the baby. Even though many think that marijuana isn’t that dangerous, it can also cause premature birth and later some developmental issues. Babies who have been exposed to marijuana during pregnancy experiences withdrawal symptoms, such as excessive shaking and crying.
Is drug abuse a common problem in pregnancy?
Unfortunately, yes, many women use drugs during pregnancy. Based on the national survey, 5.4 percent of women use alcohols and cigarettes during the first trimester, while that percentage lowers down in the second and the third. The similar numbers were seen in the use of illegal drugs. If you want to deliver a strong and healthy baby, make sure to stay clear of all drugs.