Illegal drug abuse is common in youth and other people. Women are also habituated to drug abuse for various reasons. Consuming drugs by a pregnant women leads to many dangerous consequences. It effects both mother and baby. Premature births, low weight, withdrawal symptoms during birth, club foot, and poor development of brain and body are some of the effects for baby due to drug abuse by a pregnant women.
Drugs including heroin, cocaine and others are found to pose dangers to a pregnant women. Some drugs are harmful at any time of pregnancy and some are harmful at particular stages. Body organs and systems of the fetus are formed in the first ten weeks of pregnancy. On consumption of illegal drugs by a pregnant women results in malformation of organs including heart, limbs, and facial features. The later stages of pregnancy after ten weeks, includes growth and development of fetus in terms of weight and size. This may therefore get affected when the mother abuses illegal drugs. Also formation and development of eyes and nervous system are also disturbed. Babies with low birth weight are born when a pregnant women gets addicted to illegal drugs.
Congenital heart defects may arise in babies born to a pregnant women consuming illegal drugs. Such babies may have learning and behavioral problems in later stages. An array of both physical and mental defects are seen in such babies.
Substance abuse by pregnant women results in health effects like difficulty in breathing, lethargy, irritability, low blood sugar levels, and so on. These directly affect the development of fetus. Therefore, it is mandatory to avoid illegal drug abuse during pregnancy.
