What are the affect on unborn child when taking drugs?

Answer 1

The usage of drugs during pregnancy can often have irreversable affects on the child and on the mother. Hundreds of children are born everyday with symptoms ranging from athsma to body abnormalities and sometimes even include stillborn infants. If you are using drugs and are carrying a child I strongly suggest you seek help from medical professionals. Remeber, even over usage of pain killers, no matter the strength can cause ill affects, how much more so if what you are on is not medicinal.

Answer 2

A unborn child can be affected by drugs in many ways. They can be born with congenital heart defects, the can have intrauterine growth restriction which can lead to premature birth. Newborns that have been exposed to cocaine will show signs of behavior irritalility and have poor sucking patterns. The will be hyperactive and poor coordination. There are many other birth defects that can occur with the use of drugs whether legal (prescribed) or illegal (cocaine or alcohol).

Answer 3

Marijuana

While there's little medical evidence on the direct effects of marijuana in pregnancy, several studies have associated regular use of the drug with fetal growth retardation and low birth weight. On the other hand, occasional use of marijuana, even during the first trimester, has not been shown to cause birth defects.

One reason why the effects of marijuana are unclear is that those who use it often use other drugs as well, including alcohol and cigarettes. In addition, marijuana itself contains a large number of substances, many of which have not been identified, and could be contaminated with chemicals. It's therefore difficult to separate the effects of marijuana from these other substances.

Most of the studies that have been carried out on smoking in pregnancy have examined the effect of cigarette smoke rather than marijuana. However, it's clear that, whether a pregnant woman smokes tobacco or marijuana, the smoke itself puts a tremendous strain on a developing baby. Smoking is associated with placenta praevia, premature birth, low birth weight (which means that babies are more susceptible to infections) and an increased risk of cot death (SIDS).

While the potential long-term consequences of using marijuana during pregnancy are still uncertain, it should be considered an avoidable risk.

LSD and amphetaminesAdvertisement

Other drugs whose effects on pregnancy have not been clearly documented are LSD (lysergic acid diethylamine) and amphetamines. One study showed that the pure form of LSD (administered under medical supervision) did not cause any fetal abnormalities or an increased risk of miscarriage. However, there have been reports of congenital abnormalities in the babies of women who use LSD and other drugs. Whether these can be directly attributed to the drugs is uncertain because most women who use LSD or amphetamines also use alcohol, other drugs, or smoke - therefore studies vary in the effects they report. Use of more than one recreational drug, however, seems to increase the risk of birth defects.

Because we do not know exactly what effect these drugs have on unborn babies, it's wise to avoid them as an unnecessary risk.

Ecstasy

The first report to link the use of ecstasy to birth defects came from the UK Teratology Information Service. Half the women in the study used other drugs in addition to ecstasy, although the majority only took the drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. Birth defects - mainly limb and heart defects - were higher than would be expected.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant of the central nervous system. Its use during pregnancy can cause serious problems: during the early months, it can increase the risk of miscarriage. If used later in pregnancy, it could trigger premature labour. (Studies show that women who use cocaine during pregnancy are around twice as likely as other women to have a premature baby.) Cocaine use may also cause the placenta to separate from the wall of the uterus before labour begins. This condition (abruptio placentae) can lead to extensive bleeding and can be fatal for both mother and baby.

Cocaine crosses the placenta and enters the baby's circulation. It can cause irreversible brain damage or even death in an unborn baby. These problems appear more commonly in babies of women who use cocaine throughout pregnancy than in babies whose mothers stop using the drug in the first trimester. Most babies exposed to cocaine prior to birth do not have a birth defect, but some studies suggest that they are at increased risk -- and the risk is greater when the mother has used cocaine frequently during the pregnancy. Birth defects associated with maternal cocaine use include abnormalities of the brain, skull, face, eyes, heart, limbs, intestines, genitals, and urinary tract.

The effect of cocaine on newborns is also serious: because the drug can reduce the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the developing baby, the baby may be much smaller at birth than it would be otherwise, even if carried to full term. Low-birthweight babies are more likely to die in their first month than normal-weight babies. Women who stop using cocaine early in pregnancy reduce their risk of having premature or low-birthweight babies.

Babies exposed to cocaine before birth are at increased risk of permanent disabilities including cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairment. They sometimes have feeding difficulties and sleep disturbances. After birth, some exposed babies go through "withdrawal" from the drug. Many are very jittery and irritable, startled into crying at the gentlest touch or sound. Consequently, these babies are very difficult to comfort and are often described as withdrawn or unresponsive. Some of these complications may last eight to 10 weeks after birth or even longer.

Researchers have not determined just how much cocaine it takes to cause birth defects and other adverse outcomes in an exposed baby. Women who use cocaine, in any amount or any form, are therefore advised to stop before they become pregnant or to delay pregnancy until they believe they can avoid the drug completely throughout the pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you are advised to stop using the drug immediately.

Even though it may be very difficult, if you are using any form of recreational drug, you should see your midwife or doctor immediately so that the best care can be planned for you and your baby.

Cocaine crosses over into breastmilk in significant quantities. Its effects on the baby continue to be harmful. If a mother cannot stop using cocaine, she is advised to bottlefeed.

Heroin

Heroin has many adverse effects on a developing baby. It can cause growth restriction, premature delivery - around half of the babies born to heroin-addicted mothers are born early - and stillbirth.

Women who are addicted to heroin and find that they are pregnant are advised to switch to methadone. This is administered at regular intervals and keeps the levels of the drug in the bloodstream relatively stable, causing fewer problems for both mother and baby. With expert professional help, a woman may be able to reduce the amounts she takes. Women are not advised to try to quit the drug when they are pregnant as this will cause distress and withdrawal symptoms in the developing baby which could be very harmful.

Babies exposed to heroin or methadone before birth also suffer extreme symptoms of withdrawal after delivery, needing treatment which may last for weeks. The symptoms include irritability, restlessness, feeding and breathing difficulties and general distress. The baby will need expert care to overcome these symptoms.

Small amounts of both heroin and methadone will cross over into breastmilk. If a mother cannot stop using heroin or methadone, she is advised to bottlefeed.

It is vital that mothers with a heroin problem seek expert help so that the best care can be given to them and their babies before and after the birth.

Answer 4

Various drugs have side effects. If you are taking drugs that you are supposed to, then these may have side effects on the unborn fetus. They may be worse because it is much smaller and the effects more of a problem. Always talk to the doctor.

If these are drugs that you should not be taking either, the effect will again be much worse for the fetus. It may have major defects and be born early or stillborn.

Answer 5

the baby will suffer then she will have a misscarrage

Answer 6

get sick or die by getting their development messup

Answer 7

It can seriously harm the baby with physical and mental traits. It could have Heart diseases or mental retardation for sure.

Answer 8

Drug abuse affects unborn fetuses in many ways. Marijuana can affect the growth rate and nervous system. Heroin can affect the lungs, growth rate, and brain development.