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Illegal
Drug Use during Pregnancy
Cocaine:
Women who use the illegal drug, cocaine
during pregnancy show an increased
risk of placental abruption, which
sometimes creates medical emergencies
for both mother and baby.
During
Pregnancy women who use cocaine may
develop irregular heartbeats and in
extreme cases, may cause strokes.
The Illegal drug “Cocaine”
also endangers a woman’s pregnancy.
The drug constricts uterine blood
circulation, limiting the amount of
blood going to the placenta and baby:
this lack of circulation can trigger
a placental abruption (in which the
placenta separates from the uterus),
premature labor & delivery, premature
rupture of the membranes, or spontaneous
abortion.
Maternal
cocaine use has been associated with
problems for the baby such as low
birth weight and fetal growth restriction.
Cocaine exposed babies may also be
more prone to SIDS.
Cocaine
can damage the baby’s central
nervous system, causing behavioral
abnormalities such as sleeping and
feeding problems. Babies exposed to
cocaine may be difficult to comfort.
Marijuana:
The effects of marijuana used during
pregnancy are low birth weight. Most
drugs cross the placenta—the
organ that provides nourishment to
the fetus.
Speed:
Women who use amphetamine and methamphetamine
face increased risks of having babies
with birth defects.
Heroin
and other opiates: Illegal
drug use of Heroin during pregnancy
may cause premature babies; these
babies may be born with such problems
as fetal growth restriction, depressed
Apgar Scores, decreased head circumference,
and neonatal withdrawal. Heroin crosses
the placenta, and addiction is common
in the babies of heroin-addicted mothers
Withdrawal
in heroin and methadone exposed newborns,
otherwise known as neonatal abstinence
syndrome (NAS), may result in restlessness,
sneezing, sleeplessness, sweating,
and fever later in life, the children
may develop behavioral problems.
More
to come on Illegal Drug Use during
Pregnancy... |
