Alcohol, Drug Abuse During Pregnancy Can Harm Mother and Child

By Hugh C. McBride

For most women, pregnancy is a supremely health-conscious time, when premium attention is paid to diet, exercise, and exposure to potentially damaging substances. But for women who remain in the grip of drug addiction, alcohol dependency, or a similar substance abuse problem, pregnancy can pose a wide range of unique and potentially devastating dangers.

Illicit substance abuse has been associated with an increased likelihood of alcohol use and smoking, which adds to the risks to which pregnant drug abusers expose themselves and their unborn children.

Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy

As the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) explains it, when women abuse alcohol during pregnancy, the blood-alcohol content in the fetus reaches the same level as it does in the mother. However, though the mother's liver is able to process this alcohol relatively efficiently, the liver of the fetus is not able to perform at the same level. Thus, women who abuse alcohol during pregnancy are putting their unborn children at risk.

Alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in a number of birth defects and several types of developmental damage, the worst of which is a series of problems that are known as fetal alcohol syndrome.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that children with fetal alcohol syndrome are likely to experience several or all of the following symptoms:

• Small birth size and weight
• Hearing and vision problems
• Sleep disorders
• Decreased ability to follow directions or learn simple tasks
• Learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Behavior disorders and impaired social development
• Increased odds of experiencing a variety of other physical, mental, and emotional problems

Women who abuse alcohol during pregnancy are also likely to follow a poor diet and exercise plan, and are more prone to dangers such as unsafe sex, automobile accidents, and other types of risks, all of which increases the odds that fetal development will be impaired.

Illicit Drug Use During Pregnancy

The 2005 edition of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) revealed that about 4 percent of women in the United States admit to having abused marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin, and other substances while pregnant.

From spontaneous abortion to premature delivery to severe developmental disorders, the abuse of illicit drugs during pregnancy can impact the child in a multitude of unhealthy (and, in some cases, deadly) ways. The following are among the potential damages that the March of Dimes has associated with drug abuse during pregnancy:

The use of marijuana during pregnancy may slow fetal growth and increase the odds of premature delivery.

• Babies who are born to mothers who regularly abused marijuana during pregnancy may show withdrawal-related symptoms such as excessive crying and trembling.
• A small study has found a possible increase in congenital heart defects among children who are born to mothers who abused Ecstasy during pregnancy.
• Women who abuse methamphetamine during pregnancy are at increased risk for premature delivery and problems with the placenta.
• Babies who are born to women who abused methamphetamine during pregnancy are likely to experience withdrawal-related symptoms such as jitteriness, drowsiness, and breathing problems.
• Women who abuse heroin while pregnant are at increased risk for poor fetal growth, premature rupture of the membranes, premature delivery, and stillbirth.
• Heroin abuse during pregnancy has been associated with a range of birth defects, breathing problems, and lifelong disabilities.
• Babies who are born to women who abused heroin during pregnancy are likely to experience significant withdrawal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, and seizures.
• Cocaine use during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight.
• Birth defects that are associated with cocaine use during pregnancy include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, brain damage, and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Babies who are born to women whose drug abuse during pregnancy included PCP, ketamine, and LSD are at risk for learning and behavioral problems.

Treatment Options

Alcohol and drug abuse during pregnancy can obviously inflict significant damage upon the unborn child, but attempting to quit "cold turkey" can also be dangerous for both mother and child.

In a best-case scenario, a woman who is struggling with substance abuse will enroll in a rehab program for women before she becomes pregnant. However, because many addicted or alcohol-dependent women do, indeed, become pregnant before they are able to overcome their substance abuse problems, a number of treatment programs are available to help pregnant women address their addictions.

Professional intervention and effective medical supervision are essential to women who are engaging in alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy. Some pregnant women may be able to overcome these disorders with outpatient therapy and the close supervision of their obstetricians, while others will need the type of intensive assistance and comprehensive support that is available in a residential rehabilitation program.

For example, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Bowling Green Brandywine offers one of the nation's few non-hospital inpatient treatment programs for opiate-addicted pregnant women.

Women who engage in alcohol abuse or drug abuse during pregnancy are likely to also be suffering from an underlying condition such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or another precursor to their dangerous behavior. For that reason, the comprehensive treatment services that are available in a residential treatment program may be the ideal means of helping these women overcome their challenges and develop the skills that will enable them and their children to live healthier lives.