With cases like teenage pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies, late discovery of pregnancy or a mere casual attitude towards one’s pregnancy, it is not uncommon to find women indulging in substance use during these crucial nine months, quite oblivious to the effects these things have on the baby inside.
By substance use we mean the use of alcohol, tobacco and many other drugs, which are considered relatively more unsafe during pregnancy, not only for the mother but for the baby as well.
Many, since times in the past, have held on to the belief that placentadefine protects the baby from all the harmful substances even if they are being consumed by the mother. This however, has been negated by a latest research, which confirms that placenta is not that perfect a barrier, and many drugs as well as alcohol can pass through it to often harm the baby quite seriously.
Although it is not always true that babies exposed to substance abuse prenataly would always develop adverse symptoms as a result, it is always better to avoid any situation from arising all the same.
Prenatal effects of substances like heroine, cocaine and alcohol have remained on the top of the ‘matters of concern’ list of researchers and doctors since many years. The main reason being the short term as well as long term effects of substances that can be seen in babies. Although there are various factors that determine the degree of effect these substances can have on the baby. Some of these include – the stage of pregnancy when these were taken by the mother, the amount of drugs taken, the mental condition of the mother and her levels of stress.
Premature Babies
It is possible that a baby exposed to prenatal substance abuse might be born premature, that is, prior to 37 weeks of gestation. This might lead to low birth weight (less than 2500 gms), small gestational age, slow growth of the fetus in the womb causing under developed respiratory, neuromuscular or gastrointestinal systems. Overall these babies have a weak immune systemdefine.
• Preemies have breathing difficulties.
• They also show feeding problems as they tire easily and are unable to suckle well and have digestive problems as well.
• Slow growth might also be seen in many.
• They might be easily susceptible to side effects of medicines.
• Sometimes bleeding can be seen in the brain also, in rare cases.
• The baby might also have difficulty in keeping itself warm.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or NAS, are caused generally when the mother during her pregnancy has used substances like - opioids such as heroin, methadone, morphine and codeine. These are short term effects of substance use during pregnancy on the baby.
The symptoms of withdrawal can be seen immediately within the first few days of the baby’s birth. These can range from – disturbed sleep to irritability, tremors, twitching, and stiffness of muscles, hyperactive reflexes, apnea, diarrhea, regurgitation, and failure to gain weight.
However, the quantity of opioids used determines the symptoms and their intensity. Also since these substances get flushed out of the baby’s system eventually once care is provided to the baby, it is important to keep a vigil for the symptoms which usually begin to appear within 1-4 days after birth and are cured with a prescribed dose of morphine.
Long-term effects
There are many long lasting effects of substance abuse on babies, which might permanently harm the baby. Some of these are –
• Teratogenesis, caused by a substance called teratogen, which hinders normal fetus growth, causing abnormalities in the face, heart, kidneys etc. A common teratogen is alcohol which causes cleft lip and palette.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to problems like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial FAS (pFAS) & Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND). All of these refer to a combination of structural, neurological and behavioral problems caused due to excessive drinking during pregnancy.
• Growth & Developmental Delay, indicating long term effects of substance use on the growth and development of the baby through out life, making him lack intellectual and learning abilities along with effects on his understanding and playing skills.
There are many other health risks which scientists are relating to substance use during pregnancy. These are chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), infectious diseases, including Hepatitis C, HIVdefine, and Hepatitis B, if mother tested positive for these diseases while pregnant. Often the baby might suffer from hearing and vision defects and also Shaken Baby Syndrome.
It is thus important that women stay away from these substances during pregnancy as precaution is the best cure against the ill effects. Equally important is to be aware and well informed on what one needs to stay away from.
Some of the common substances you need to say a big “No” to during pregnancy are – tobacco, alcohol and opioids like heroin, methadone, codeine, morphine, talwin, and demerol. Others are – cocaine, crack, marijuana, amphetamines and many such substances that come as inhalants.
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