What is the role of dhhs in drug prevention

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 at 10:19 am

The Risks Of Using Substances Before Pregnancy

Until recently, drug or alcohol abuse was not very well understood, and unfortunately there was not a lot of ways to help a person suffering from these difficulties.

However, today many healthcare providers are now able and willing to furnish treatments and provide counsel to anyone who uses or abuse drugs, alcohol or other form of substance. Do not be embarrassed to confide in your doctor about substance use. Your doctors is concerned about and your baby. We have learned much about drug and alcohol use and the effect on pregnancy in recent years. We now believe the safest approach to drug or alcohol use during pregnancy is no use at all.

It makes sense to solve these problems before pregnancy. By the time you realize you’re pregnant, you may already be 8 or 10 weeks along. You have to realize that your baby goes through some of its most critical developmental stages during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. The problem that you could be using drugs and not even known that you are pregnant. There are not very many women out there who would take these substances if they knew they were pregnant. So it is a good policy to cease taking any substance you do not need at least 3 months before trying to conceive.
Research into these problems continues, showing that use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy may affect the IQ of a child, attention span and learning ability. To date, no safe level of these substances has been determined. Drug use before pregnancy is serious business. Fortunately, there is help for those who use drugs. Get help before you become pregnant. Preparing for pregnancy may be a good reason for you and your partner to change your lifestyle.
Another very common form of substance abuse is tobacco. Our society has been aware for a very lengthy time that smoking has a detrimental affect on fetal development. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have low birth weight babies or babies with intrauterine-growth restriction. Ask for help to stop smoking before you become pregnant. Your doctor should be receptive to this request.
It was once felt that a small amount of alcohol while pregnant was acceptable. However, today professionals state that absolutely no amount of alcohol is safe to consume while pregnant. Alcohol crosses the placenta and directly affects your baby. Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol exposure (FAE).

Studies have indicated that cocaine affects the baby throughout pregnancy, and not just during the first trimester. Should you consume cocaine during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, you are running an extremely high risk of having a miscarriage. Cocaine can also cause severe deformities in a fetus. The type of defect caused depends on the point at which cocaine is used in the pregnancy. Infants born to mothers who use cocaine during pregnancy have been found to have long-term mental deficiencies. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is also more common in these babies. Many babies born to women who use cocaine are stillborn.

Cocaine affects the mother-to-be, too. It is a stimulant and increases their heart rate and blood pressure. Women who use the drug during pregnancy have a higher rate of placental abruption, which is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterus.

In certain regions of the US, there are greater than 10% of all pregnant women who consume cocaine at some time while pregnant. Again, the best policy is to completely stop using cocaine right before you stop taking birth control. You need to realize that it is very possible for embryo damage to occur as early as 3 days after conception.

Marijuana is another substance that is dangerous to use while pregnant as it also crosses the placenta and directly enters the system of the new baby. This drug can have very long-lasting effects on babies that are exposed prior to birth. Research has indicated that the using marijuana while pregnant can seriously affect cognitive function, decision-making ability and the future-planning capability in the child. Use can also affect the verbal reasoning and memory of the child. If your partner smokes marijuana, encourage him to stop. One study showed that the risk of SIDS was twice the average for children if their father smoked marijuana. The risk is present if the male smokes before conception. Researchers believe the THC in marijuana may adversely affect sperm and the growing fetus.

By: Leslie T. Savinsky

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