Drug Safety in Pregnant Women and Their Babies

It is a proven fact that cocaine use during pregnancy leads to serious complications. Cocaine can cross the placenta and enters the baby’s body, where it stays for longer because the elimination system is not fully developed. It leads to various complications and cocaine use in any form should be avoided throughout the pregnancy.

Substance abuse has been a worldwide problem at all levels of society since the beginning of time. Attention has been made toward the use of legal and illegal substance by pregnant women over the past several decades. Almost all drugs are known to cross the placenta and have some effect on the fetus. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) the first studies of the effect of substances consumed by a pregnant women to the developing fetus were identified in the 1960’s of prenatal tobacco use. These studies opened the door to further research and studies. The effects of Alcohol and opiate use have been studied since the 1970’s (Jones, Smith, 1973) and the effects of a variety of other drugs have been studied since 1979 and early 1980’s (Flinnegan, 1979).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), birth defects results in one of every 33 babies. Teratogens account for 4 out of 5% of birth defects when chemical and drugs are in the system. The use of this or even infections can cause abnormal fetal development.

When considering making changes to the laws that stand today, one should think about everyone affected in the situation. The mother is not always the only one that is affected, but the child, other family members, and the government also get involved. The number of tests that are run need to be changed; it will help to keep the drugs away from the fetus if the mother knows that she is going to be tested. Also, the child should be taken away from the mother if drugs are found in the body during gestation. If the law would prosecute mothers for doing drugs, it would limit the amount of money spent by the government. On the other hand, the law could prosecute a mother for child abuse. The baby’s life is in danger because of the mother’s actions,

Being pregnant and having a baby requires you to be so careful about your health, so that your baby will be healthy and happy. When you are pregnant you can’t drink, smoke, do legal or illegal drugs and you have to exercise, eat well, take supplements, and take care of your body. You have to be so careful when you are pregnant, you are growing another person. Their lives and well being are your responsibility. There are some women out there that aren’t taking proper care of their unborn babies, who are using drugs when they are pregnant. In 2005 in the US, The National Survey of Drug Use and Health showed that over 3000 babies were found had high risk for drug misuse and almost 4% of pregnant women in the US use illicit drugs during pregnancy.

In my opinion I definitely think that it should be illegal to smoke, drink, or take drugs while pregnant because they are threatening the health of the child for a selfish reason. If they wouldn't give the child drugs, alcohol, a cigarette, etc. when they are born why would they think it's okay to use these harmful things while pregnant? I can't stand seeing videos or documentaries of babies that have been born addicted to drugs and shaking uncontrollably, it's just so sad. There are so many health risks to the babies that can come from drugs, alcohol, or smoking and I think that it is very selfish of the mother who would willingly cause harm to her child and that if they do any of the things mentioned that they should be held responsible for

Pregnant drug abusers should be charged with child abuse based on health effects and risks that a fetus can endure while in the womb, and as well as health effects that are short-term and long-term after birth. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for an unborn infant or for the mother as well. “Maternal drug abuse in pregnancy is associated with several complications, such as premature rupture of the membranes, premature labor, and abruption of the placenta, intra-uterine growth retardation, and neonatal withdrawal symptoms” (Helsinki & Kukko, 1999, p. 22). There are several drugs that can harm a fetus in the womb. The various drugs that cause the major complications are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, PCP, LSD, methamphetamine, and ecstasy.

Infants born addicted to heroin or methadone often present with characteristics of neonatal opiate abstinence syndrome (Meade, 2007). Amphetamines are very harmful to an unborn child. This drug can cause decreased weight, length and even head size (California, 2002-2014). The effects of marijuana to an unborn child are still unknown. Marijuana can be stored in babies’ fat cells for seven to thirty days. The use of marijuana while pregnant can result in the amount of oxygen and nutrients the baby receives which can result with growth complications.

Maternal substance abuse accounts for problematic health concerns in infants, according Forray (2016), “5.9% of pregnant women use illicit drugs, with usage age ranging from 15-44 years of age” (p.3).  Types of illicit substances used during pregnancy consist of Cocaine, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Heroin, and an array of other illicit substances.  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. For my immersion experience I choose to focus on the population of women who uses illicit drugs during pregnancy.

The use of illegal drug is one factor that puts new born at high risk for complication. Drugs like methamphedamine, one of the drugs that my client admits to taking on a daily basis to keep her awake, can pose a threat to the infant in utero as well as out of utero. Exposing your baby to meth can cause the infant to be born with IUGR or SGA, they are lethargic, and some are born with heart and brain abnormalities. Using meth when you are pregnant can also cause complication during pregnancy like; you could have a preterm baby or suffer from abruptio placenta.

According to the National Library of Medicine (2013), maternal substance abuse is the use of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, nicotine, or alcohol during pregnancy. Cocaine use during pregnancy causes contextual variables, to typical fetal development, as it influences the cardiovascular and autonomic systems of the mother. As discussed by Cone-Wesson (2005), low birth weight and neurological complications, such as stroke and seizures can be a consequence of gestational substance abuse. PCE can cause adverse effects on the fetus’s development such as becoming at risk for delays. These delays include the developmental domains such as language, cognition, and social-emotional skills as stated by

Another study that showed a positive result that occurred when a women was the pregnant women. In this study it cited pregnancy and the birth of a their child as the motivator to seek help and receive treatment, (Best, Segal, & Day, 2009). Many of the effects that occur are the result of the mother’s use of drugs and possibly alcohol during pregnancy they can range in developmental problems from physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral but in some cases it’s the impaired parenting seen in substance –abusing mothers. Common effects on physical health include low birth weight, physical withdrawal, obstetrical complications, irritability, growth retardation, sleeping, and eating problems, (Carlson, 2006).

Substance abuse during pregnancy is a very important and relevant health policy issue. “According to a national survey conducted in the United States in 2012, 5.9% of pregnant women use illicit drugs, 8.5% drink alcohol and 15.9% smoke cigarettes, resulting in over 380,000 offspring exposed to illicit substances, over 550,000 exposed to alcohol and over one million exposed to tobacco in utero (Forray, 2016).” There has also been an increasing number of pregnant women who are taking opioid medication, whether prescribed or illicit. “Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44, 5.4 percent were current illicit drug users based on data averaged across 2012 and 2013 (SAMHSA, 2014).

When a pregnant woman uses drugs she affects the fetus. Scientist have studied facts about the babies born from marijuana users were shorter, weighed less, and had smaller head sizes than those born from the mothers who did not use the drug. When a baby is smaller than its average size the health of the baby has more of a risk to it than an average sized baby. Drug abuse has negative effects on the fetus because they are transferred from the placenta to the fetus which harms the birth of the baby. If a pregnant woman is taking in drugs she is making it harder for the unborn to breath and most of the drugs can cause a miscarriage. If the mother is smoking heroine while having a child, the child can become immune to that drug and become dependant on it. PCP and LSD can lead to various problems for the child such as, low birth weight, poor muscle control, brain damage, and withdrawal syndrome if they are used frequently.

Pregnancy is a very delicate period of time for the pregnant woman and her child. There are several factors that can interfere with the wellbeing of the baby before and after birth, and the pregnant woman. Although there are several structures and organs that protect the unborn baby, the mother needs to be careful during gestation, to protect the baby. One of the most important structures that support the embryo and fetus is the placenta. Besides its role metabolic, endocrine and immunologic functions, it is the connection between the mother and the fetus. The placenta is the organ responsible for the exchange of nourishment, oxygen and waste between them (London, Ladewig, Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2011, p. 72). However, besides transporting the essential substances for the baby’s life, the placenta can also transport substances that can potentially harm it. Teratogen is the name for everything that, besides genetic abnormalities, can negatively affect the embryo or fetus including medications, illegal and legal drugs, viruses, bacteria, maternal antibodies, pollution, and radiation (Belsky, 2013, 50). The effects of teratogens vary according to the gestational stage of exposure, and frequency and duration of exposure. In early pregnancy or embryonic stage is the most vulnerable time of pregnancy. During this first stage of pregnancy, teratogens may inhibit implantation or lead to major structural malformation because this is when they form (Belsky, 2013, 50). The frequency and