Birth defects
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Drug use or abuse, alcohol consumption, and smoking during pregnancy all have the potential to cause serious harm to the unborn baby and can result in permanent biological, neurological, and psychological anomalies or fetal death. Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, birth defects account for approximately 20 percent of all infant deaths. About 1 out of every 33 births in the U.S. (3% or more than 9 million births) is affected by birth defects each year. Of this amount, around 40,000 teratogenetic births are caused by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
Anything the expecting mother eats, drinks, inhales, or injects into her body is also consumed by the baby. All substances, including alcohol, nicotine, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs, have adverse effects on the development of the fetus. The expecting mother should abstain from consuming alcohol and substances and should never ingest medications, vitamins, minerals, or herbal supplements unless specifically directed by her doctor. Although substance abuse during pregnancy is hazardous for both the mother and the fetus, teratogeny caused to the baby is irreversible and can require lifelong medical treatment.
The types of deformities and their degree of severity depend upon the type of drug ingested by the mother, the amount taken, the frequency of use, stage of fetal development when exposed, duration of exposure(s), and the combination of other substances. For example, substance use during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy may create permanent abnormalities in the baby’s biological development or cause miscarriage. Substance abuse during the last twelve weeks of pregnancy may inhibit fetal growth, induce premature birth, or result in stillborn. Substance abuse following pregnancy can likewise contribute to severe developmental complications as the baby may still be exposed to substances through the consumption of the mother’s breast milk.
Maternal illicit substance use, including stimulants, opioids, and hallucinogens, is related to stunted growth, behavioral disorders, fetal withdrawal syndrome, infections, STDs, AIDS, premature birth, miscarriage, and infant mortality. Smoking during pregnancy is known to cause growth deformities such as cleft lip, cleft palate, limb defects, clubfoot, imperforate genitals, gastroschisis, heart defect, premature birth, stillbirth, and infant mortality.
An estimated 1 in 10 births are affected by maternal illicit drug use such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and abused prescription medications. Any drug exposure to the embryo, fetus, or infant can cause lifelong deficiencies, or medical problems during the later stages of the child’s life. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 75% of infants exposed to drugs have severe medical problems, while only 27% of unexposed infants experience serious medical complications. The treatment of drug-affected infants costs twice as much as the treatment of non-affected infants. The drug-abusing mother is at greatest risk of obstetrical complications, including higher occurrence of infectious and sexually-transmitted diseases, placental insufficiency, miscarriage, and intrauterine death.
Anyone believed to be abusing drugs or alcohol while pregnant should be encouraged to seek medical attention and support. Help for these expecting mothers is available through Alcoholics Anonymous (www.aa.org), Narcotics Anonymous (www.na.org), or the SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at (800) 662-HELP.
