Open Door Retreat

Not only does the abuse of drugs when pregnant have an affect on the mother who is taking the substance, but it can also have very serious consequences for the unborn child she is carrying.

There are two main problems with drug abuse in pregnancy.

The first is of course the enormous risk to the unborn child. Drug abuse can cause a great deal of problems from birth defects to mental problems later in life with the child. All substances and forms of abuse such as alcohol and smoke cross over to the baby through the placenta just as all the nutrients and vitamins cross over.

The second problem associated with drug abuse is the problems caused to the mother and the risky behavior that drug abuse causes such as being promiscuous, taking high risks to get the drugs or substances and even turning to prostitution or stealing to get drugs.

While the majority of people associate the term “drug abuse” with cocaine, heroin etc, tobacco and alcohol are also classed as drug abuse and can lead to problems with the unborn child and even death and miscarriage. The drugs which are classed as high risk of course are cocaine and heroin. The side effects to the mother include a change in the heart rate, a raise in the blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and seizures; of course all these can have a drastic effect on the unborn child, not just the mother.

Miscarriages are 40% more likely to occur during the first trimester in those women who are taking drugs and even in those who smoke and drink alcohol on a regular basis. Other problems include very low birth rates, growth retardation and problems in later life including mental problems and problems with anxiety.