When a woman uses drugs during pregnancy, certain risks to her health and that of the fetus occur. The increased risk of abortion, low birth weight or withdrawal symptoms in the baby are some of the effects of drugs on pregnancy and the baby, but there may be more.
A few days ago we saw that the use of narcotic substances affected female fertility (also male), but if pregnancy is finally achieved, we must know that drugs can spoil it in various ways. It is best to leave harmful habits as soon as possible and seek help when necessary, since addiction can be severe.
In general, the use of illicit drugs during the gestation period increases the risk of congenital malformations and other defects in the future baby, such as spina bifida, esophageal atresia, absence of anus, abdominal wall rupture, cardiovascular alterations, renal malformations and urinals ...
The informative guide "Gender and drugs" It is an informative material aimed at a wide and varied public, edited by the Diputación de Alicante and is very clarifying about it, touching many interesting topics in a concise and direct way.
As to how drugs affect pregnancy and baby, we extract the following main points, leaving aside the permitted drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, about whose effects we have spoken on multiple occasions:
Effect of cannabis on pregnancy
Hashish and marijuana, cross the placental barrier and accumulate in milk, so breastfeeding is not recommended in cannabis users. Regular consumption of these substances during pregnancy impairs the development of the fetus, causing:
- The reduction of the weight of newborns.
- The alteration of cognitive-mental functions of children.
- The appearance of attention disorders and hyperactivity.
Cannabis use during pregnancy It is associated with:
- Higher rates of prematurity and fetal immaturity, as well as obstetric complications.
- Low response to stimuli, irritability and sleep disorders in newborns in the days immediately after birth, which appear to be associated with a withdrawal.
- In the longer term, delay in verbal ability and memory is detected.
Effects of cocaine on pregnant women
Cocaine use in pregnancy It is associated with a high risk of:
- Abortion
- Intrauterine fetal death
- Prematurity with fetal immaturity.
- Less weight of babies at birth.
- Brain injuries, which may be the cause of intrauterine death or permanent brain damage after birth and the reason why many children suffer from hyperactivity, grow with personality disorders and the organization of the response to environmental stimuli, with cognitive retardation since in adult life they have a greater predisposition to suffer from neuropsychiatric disorders.
Effects of amphetamines and synthetic drugs
The use of amphetamines and synthetic drugs ("pills", ecstasy ...) has a negative impact on fetal growth, increasing the risk that newborns have cardiac and cleft palate malformations. Maternal intake of ecstasy during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations.
Heroin and other opiates
Pregnancies of opioid-consuming women are considered high-risk, with spontaneous abortions, premature or delayed births being frequent, as well as intrauterine fetal deaths.
The children of these mothers have as an added risk the possibility of intrapartum transmission of maternal hepatitis B or HIV / AIDS infection. Between 60% and 80% of those born to heroinomanic mothers present at the time of birth a withdrawal syndrome to varying degrees.
Finally, we must remember that everything we do during pregnancy has consequences in the future for the baby and the aftermath of abusive use of alcohol or other drugs is visible in the development of children. Not only will there be physical consequences, but there is also an increased risk of behavioral disorders, emotional problems and difficulties in learning and social relationships.
