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When you are pregnant, it is important that you watch what you put into your body. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother.

Studies have shown that consumption of illegal drugs during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even maternal death.
The following information can help you understand these drugs and their effects:
Marijuana

Common slang names: pot, weed, grass and reefer

What happens when a pregnant woman smokes marijuana? Marijuana crosses the placenta to your baby. Marijuana, like cigarette smoke, contains toxins that keep your baby from getting the proper supply of oxygen that he or she needs to grow.

How can marijuana affect the baby? Studies of marijuana in pregnancy are inconclusive, because many women who smoke marijuana also use tobacco and alcohol. Smoking marijuana increases the levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the blood, which reduces the oxygen supply to the baby. Smoking marijuana during pregnancy can increase the chance of miscarriage, low birth weight, premature births, developmental delays, and behavioral and learning problems.

What if I smoked marijuana before I knew I was pregnant? According to Dr. Richard S. Abram, author of Will it Hurt the Baby, "occasional use of marijuana during the first trimester is unlikely to cause birth defects." Once you are aware you are pregnant, you should stop smoking. Doing this will decrease the chance of harming your baby.

Cocaine

Common slang names: bump, toot, C, coke, crack, flake, snow, and candy

What happens when a pregnant woman consumes cocaine? Cocaine crosses the placenta and enters your baby's circulation. The elimination of cocaine is slower in a fetus than in an adult. This means that cocaine remains in the baby's body much longer than it does in your body.

How can cocaine affect my baby? According to the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS), during the early months of pregnancy cocaine exposure may increase the risk of miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, cocaine use can cause placental abruption, which can lead to severe bleeding, preterm birth, and fetal death. OTIS also states that the risk of birth defects appears to be greater when the mother has used cocaine frequently during pregnancy. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecology (ACOG), women who use cocaine during their pregnancy have a 25 % increased chance of premature labor. Babies born to mothers who use cocaine throughout their pregnancy may also have a smaller head and be growth restricted. Babies who are exposed to cocaine later in pregnancy may be born dependent and suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, sleeplessness, muscle spasms, and feeding difficulties. Some experts believe that learning difficulties may result as the child gets older. Defects of the genitals, kidneys, and brain are also possible.

What if I consumed cocaine before I knew I was pregnant? There have not been any conclusive studies done on single doses of cocaine during pregnancy. Birth defects and other side effects are usually a result of prolonged use, but because studies are inconclusive, it is best to avoid cocaine altogether. Cocaine is a very addictive drug and experimentation often leads to abuse of the drug.

Heroin

Common slang names: horse, smack, junk, and H-stuff

What happens when a pregnant woman uses heroin? Heroin is a very addictive drug that crosses the placenta to the baby. Because this drug is so addictive, the unborn baby can become dependent on the drug.

How can heroin affect my baby? Using heroin during pregnancy increases the chance of premature birth, low birth weight, breathing difficulties, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), bleeding within the brain (intracranial hemorrhage), and infant death. Babies can also be born addicted to heroin and can suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, convulsions, diarrhea, fever, sleep abnormalities, and joint stiffness. Mothers who inject narcotics are more susceptible to HIV, which can be passed to their unborn children.

What if I am addicted to heroin and I am pregnant? Treating an addiction to heroin can be complicated, especially when you are pregnant. Your healthcare provider may prescribe methadone as a form of treatment. It is best that you communicate with your healthcare provider so he or she can provide the best treatment for you and your baby.

PCP & LSD

What happens when a pregnant woman takes PCP and LSD? PCP and LSD are hallucinogens. Both PCP and LSD users can behave violently, which may harm the baby if the mother hurts herself.

How can PCP and LSD affect my baby? PCP use during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight, poor muscle control, brain damage, and withdrawal syndrome if used frequently. Withdrawal symptoms include lethargy, alternating with tremors. LSD can lead to birth defects if used frequently.

What if I experimented with LSD or PCP before I knew I was pregnant? No conclusive studies have been done on one-time use effects of these drugs on the fetus. It is best not to experiment if you are trying to get pregnant or think you might be pregnant.

Methamphetamine

Common slang names: meth, speed, crystal, glass, and crank

What happens when a pregnant woman takes methamphetamine? Methamphetamine is chemically related to amphetamine, which causes the heart rate of the mother and baby to increase.

How can methamphetamine affect my baby: Taking methamphetamine during pregnancy can result in problems similar to those seen with the use of cocaine in pregnancy. The use of speed can cause the baby to get less oxygen, which can lead to low birth weight. Methamphetamine can also increase the likelihood of premature labor, miscarriage, and placental abruption. Babies can be born addicted to methamphetamine and suffer withdrawal symptoms that include tremors, sleeplessness, muscle spasms, and feeding difficulties. Some experts believe that learning difficulties may result as the child gets older.

What if I experimented with methamphetamine before I knew I was pregnant? There have not been any significant studies done on the effect of one-time use of methamphetamine during pregnancy. It is best not to experiment if you are trying to get pregnant or think you might be pregnant.

What does the law say?

Currently, Tennessee is the only state that holds prenatal substance abuse as a criminal act of child abuse and neglect. That does not always stop prosecutors from trying to charge mothers with endangerment or neglect. Women are typically offered a choice between serving time in jail or joining a rehab program.

Many states have expanded their civil child-welfare requirements to include substance abuse during pregnancy as grounds for terminating parental rights in relation to child abuse and neglect.
The laws that address prenatal substance abuse are as follows:

Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Rhode Island's healthcare providers are required to test for and report prenatal drug exposure. Indiana health care providers are only required to test.

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin's health care providers are required to report prenatal drug exposure. Reporting and testing can be evidence used in child welfare proceedings.

Some states consider prenatal substance abuse as part of their child welfare laws. Therefore, prenatal drug exposure can provide grounds for terminating parental rights because of child abuse or neglect. These states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Indiana's laws only allow a healthcare provider to release drug use information with the woman's consent.

Missouri's laws state that testing positive for drugs within 8 hours post delivery AND she has either a previous child abuse/neglect conviction or if she did not complete a recommended substance abuse treatment program, constitutes unfitness as a parent.

Some states have policies that enforce admission to an inpatient treatment program for pregnant women who use drugs. These states include Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

In 2014, Tennessee made drug use during pregnancy a criminal offense.

How can I get help?

You can get help from counseling, support groups, and treatment programs. Popular groups include the 12 step program.
Numbers that can help you locate a treatment center include:

National Drug Help Hotline 1-800-662-4357

National Alcohol and Drug Dependence Hopeline 1-800-622-2255

Last updated: February 1, 2018 at 17:56 pm
Compiled using information from the following sources:
Organization of Teratology Information Services, http://otispregnancy.org/ Motherisk.org, http://www.motherisk.org/ American Council for Drug's Education, http://www.acde.org/ March of Dimes, http://www.marchofdimes.com/ The Alan Guttmacher Institute, http://www.guttmacher.org/

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When you are pregnant, it is important that you watch what you put into your body. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother. Studies have shown that consumption of illegal drugs during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even maternal death.

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A street drug (also called illegal or illicit drug) is a drug that is against the law to have or use.

Street drugs are bad for you, and they're bad for your baby. About 1 in 20 women (5 percent) take street drugs during pregnancy.

Street drugs include:

How can street drugs harm your pregnancy?

Using street drugs can cause problems for you before and during pregnancy, including:

Not being able to get pregnant. This is called infertility.

Problems with the placenta. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.

Preterm labor. This is labor that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Miscarriage. This is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Stillbirth. This is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Babies born to moms who use street drugs during pregnancy can have these complications:

Premature birth. This is birth that happens too early, before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

Low birthweight. This is when a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.

Smaller-than-normal head size (called reduced head circumference)

Heart defects

Birth defects. These are health conditions that are present at birth. Birth defects change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. They can cause problems in overall health, how the body develops, or in how the body works.

Infections, including hepatitis C, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) and Zika. These viruses often affect people who share needles when they use street drugs. Moms can pass these infections to their baby during pregnancy or at birth. If you get infected with the Zika virus during pregnancy, it can cause a birth defect called microcephaly and other brain problems.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (also called NAS). This is a group of health conditions that a baby can have if his mother uses addictive drugs during pregnancy. NAS can happen when a baby is exposed to a drug before birth and then goes through drug withdrawal after birth.

Babies born to moms who use drugs often have problems later in life, including:

Learning and behavior problems

Slower-than-normal growth

Sudden infant death syndrome (also called SIDS). This is the unexplained death of a child while sleeping.

It's hard to know exactly how each street drug harms your pregnancy. This is because women who use street drugs may use more than one drug and may have other unhealthy behaviors, too. For example, they may smoke or drink alcohol. They may not eat healthy meals. They may be more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease. All of these can cause problems during pregnancy.

How can you keep your baby safe from street drugs?

The best way to keep your baby safe from street drugs is to avoid them! Don't use street drugs. Talk to your health care provider. He can help you get treatment to help you quit.

If you used heroin or the prescription drugs called opioids, don't stop taking them without getting treatment from your health care provider first. Quitting suddenly (called cold turkey) can cause severe problems for your baby, including death. Your health care provider or a drug treatment center can treat you with drugs like methadone or buprenorphine. These drugs can help you gradually reduce your dependence on opioids and heroin in a way that's safe for you and your baby.

How can you get help to quit using street drugs?

Talk to your health care provider about treatment to help you quit. Or contact:
Last reviewed: November, 2016

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A street drug (also called illegal or illicit drug) is a drug that is against the law to have or use. Street drugs are bad for you, and they're bad for your baby. About 1 in 20 women (5 percent) take street drugs during pregnancy.

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Losing Isaiah (1995) Official Trailer #1 - Halle Berry Movie HD

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The Effects Alcohol Can Have On Your Pregnancy

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Dr. Natasha Withers discusses why expecting mothers should avoid alcohol during pregnancy.To view over 15,000 other how-to, DIY, and advice videos on any topic, visit http://www.monkeysee.com/