Healthy Baby Awareness
Dangers of Pre-natal Legal and Illegal Drug Use.
To reduce the harm in pregnancy, men as well as women need to be aware
of the risks associated with tobacco, alcohol, prescribed drugs and illegal
drugs.
The attitudes of boyfriends, partners and friends can have a huge influence
on each other’s legal and illegal drug use. Choosing to spend time
with non-drug or alcohol using friends can help to prevent substance use
in pregnancy and reduce the associated health risks to the pregnant female
and unborn child.
Although not all drug-exposed babies will be affected, some will and
they will be affected at birth; other children might look normal at birth
and not show problems until years later.
All illegal and legal drugs of misuse including tobacco, alcohol and
prescribed medication such as benzodiazepines can affect the
unborn child.
Pre-natal care and connection to the health care system e.g. alcohol
& drug services is important for the mother and baby and can lead
to treatment if needed.Good parenting can help these babies but it can
be difficult to be a good parent when you are using alcohol or drugs.
A pregnant mums choice of using alcohol tobacco and/or illegal drugs
during the pregnancy will threaten the growth and the well being of
the unborn child. Mental health problems in children and young people
are often associated with alcohol and drug dependency. Illegal drug use
amongst pregnant women can cause pre-term delivery,lower birth weight,
smaller-than-normal headsize, miscarriages, genital and urinary tract
deformities and damage to the nervous system.
Alcohol:
Babies born to mothers who drink heavily during pregnancy are putting
their babies at risk from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
FAS produces slow growth, damage to the unborn child’s nervous system,
facial abnormalities and mental retardation.
Tobacco:
Another legal drug associated with young people, poverty and reduced educational
achievement.
Cigarette smoking limits the growing foetus supply of oxygen and food
inthe womb, causing low birth rate of an average of 150-250 grams compared
to babies born to non-smoking mothers.
Cigarettes also contain poisonous chemicals e.g. nicotine, hydrogen cyanide,
carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Nicotine has been found in breast milk.
Over-The-Counter Drugs:
These include things like cold cures, antihistamines, allergy medications,
vitamins, painkillers, herbal teas, antacids, laxatives and diet pills.
They are easy to get from chemists, health food shops and supermarkets,
and we don’t usually think of these medicines as harmful. However,
medical research indicates that, particularly if taken in higher than
the recommended dose, they can be harmful. Always check with your doctor
or chemist before taking any medicines or cough mixtures.
http://www.adf.org.au/adp/analgesics.html
Cannabis Affects the Reproductive
Process:
Studies in the USA show that “Cannabis lowers the male’stestosterone
levels, sperm production decreases and the female hormone cycles are disrupted.
Babies born to cannabis–using mothers are on average smaller, have
behavioural and learning problems and are 10 times more likely to develop
leukaemia.
USA National Drug Policy
Alliance
(NDPA) state that boys can become more feminine, fewer sperm are
produced and some sperm are abnormal and impotence can occur.
Cocaine:
Pregnant cocaine using women showed higher levels of depression, general
mental distress even after the first month after the birth of the baby.
Cocaine–exposed children at 6 years showed a lack of educational
achievement and learning skill defects e.g. poor attention, disorganisation
and
less abstract thinking.
Opiate/Heroin:
Mothers who choose to use opiate based drugs e.g. heroin during pregnancy
are putting their babies at risk from the inconsistent strengths of the
drug and the drug impurities (bulking/cutting agents.)
A heroin Detox usually takes place in an in-patient setting and is the
first step in the treatment process, although it does not address the
physical and psychological aspects of heroin dependency. The biggest concern
is that Detox during pregnancy can cause miscarriage
Methadone:
There is no proof to show that there is an additional risk to the development
of the baby during pregnancy whilst on a stable dose of methadone…
being stable on methadone is better for the baby (and the baby’s
mother) than
being unstable on illegal drugs or withdrawal distress to the baby in
the womb. Pregnant women who are using street heroin should seek support
from their GP or local drug agency in getting a script and stabilising
their lifestyle.
Local Agency Support for
Young People
SNAP: Tel. 01582 419584
PUKE: Tel. 01582 723434
ADIBOP: Tel. 01582 519503 or 01582 519504
BRITANNIC HOUSE: Tel. 01582 657558
LUTON GUM: Tel. 01582 497070
Sources:
Barry M. Lester et al (2004) Harm reduction Journal, Substance use during
pregnancy: time for policy to catch up with research.
BioMed Central: USA
http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/1/1/5
http://www.drugprevent.demon.co.uk/cann.html
Methadone handbook: Women and methadone.
http://www.exchangesupplies.org/publications/methadonehbk/methintro.html
