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Drug Abuse When PregnantPregnancy can be one of the happiest moments in a womanís life. Protecting the miracle of life growing inside is of utmost importance. The unborn child is at the mercy of the mother and environment around him. Unfortunately some women fall prey to drug abuse. This poses serious risks not only to the mother herself, but to her unborn child. The use of drugs during pregnancy has an effect on the baby because the medications and drugs travel through her bloodstream and pass through the placental barrier. These drugs have side effects that include birth defects, prematurity, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), damage to the neurological system, low birth weight and other developmental disabilities following birth. Not only do the drugs have a negative effect on child but mothers who abuse their body using drugs often run the risk of poor nutrition which not only starves her body of necessary nutrition but it also starves her unborn child of nutrients as well. Drugs can affect the mother by bringing about health conditions such as tachycardia and high blood pressure. Tachycardia is a heart condition where the heart beats too quickly to be effective in pumping oxygen filled blood around the body. The combination of tachycardia and high blood pressure can affect the health of the motherís kidneys and the developing child. Drug abuse can include alcohol abuse that leads to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the child. This is a combination of developmental delays and physical disabilities that are permanent and have no cure. These disabilities include mental retardation, behavioral and emotional difficulties and other neurological deficits. There are treatments but they require many years of patience and therapy. The child is affected for the rest of his life. Smoking, and nicotine, is another drug that is commonly abused during pregnancy. Each cigarette contains over 40 different chemicals that have known carcinogenic properties. In other words, they cause cancer. When a mother smokes during pregnancy she passes those chemicals along to her unborn child. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of a premature or still birth and will rob the unborn child of his nourishment. Mothers who abuse drugs during pregnancy also risk the unborn baby born addicted to the same drug. The symptoms exhibited in an addicted baby are difficulty feeding, sleeplessness, tremors, irritability and muscles spasms. These are all symptoms of withdrawal from the drug. These symptoms are different for each of the different drugs that can be abused. Women who use IV drugs also run the risk of contracting HIV which can be passed to the unborn child. Some states in the U.S. have strict penalties and treatment requirements for women who are pregnant and abuse drugs during their pregnancy. These requirements are focused on protecting the health of the unborn child even when the mother is physical and emotionally unable to consider her own options. Women who are caught in the trap of drug abuse and addiction may have trouble considering the consequences of their actions. If you are abusing drugs and discover that you are pregnant you should seek out a health care professional and/or a treatment center to get help in order to assure the health and safety of your baby. Women who are addicted during pregnancy can be offered options to help them through the next nine months without pain and suffering that is associated with withdrawal.
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