According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health --- abbreviated NSDUH by the U.S. government --- more than 15 percent of pregnant women admit to using drugs or alcohol at some point during their pregnancies. Topping the list of drugs are cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, all of which may adversely affect your baby's birth. Among the many issues that this drug use may cause are premature births, miscarriages, low birth weight and death.
Cigarettes
Nicotine, in the form of cigarettes, is the most common drug among pregnant women, with 15.3 percent of those responding to the 2009 National Survey admitting to smoking within the past month. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, approximately 900 infant deaths per year are due to smoking while pregnant. In addition to increasing the risk for infant mortality, causing stillbirths, spontaneous abortions and sudden infant death syndrome, smoking while pregnant or exposure to second-hand smoke may lead to low birth weight, premature birth, respiratory problems and developmental delays in your baby.
Alcohol
After nicotine, alcohol is the most common drug that pregnant women consume. Of the pregnant women surveyed in the 2009 NSDUH, 10 percent were using alcohol at the time, 4.4 percent reported binge drinking and 0.8 percent were drinking heavily while pregnant. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that even one-time use can affect your baby, potentially leading to low birth weight, physical and mental developmental delays and problems with eating, seeing, hearing and sleeping.
Marijuana
The NSDUH survey does not differentiate among illicit drugs, reporting that 4.5 percent of pregnant women use substances that fall into this category. According to NIDA, however, marijuana accounts for the majority of illegal drug use during pregnancy. While the effects of marijuana use on a developing baby are unclear, the American Pregnancy Association suggests that, when smoked, marijuana has effects similar to nicotine. These include higher risks of miscarriage, low birth weight, premature birth and developmental delays.
Cocaine
After marijuana, cocaine is the most common illegal drug among pregnant drug users. Similar to marijuana, however, research on prenatal cocaine use is limited, as the majority of pregnant women who use illegal drugs also smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. However, the American Pregnancy Association reports that cocaine use may increase your risk of miscarriage, preterm birth and severe placental bleeding, potentially killing the developing fetus. Babies of cocaine-using mothers also tend to be shorter, have smaller heads and weigh less, all of which may indicate future developmental delays.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; September 2010
- National Institute on Drug Abuse; Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse; May 2011
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco Addiction
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Drinking and Your Pregnancy
- National Institute on Drug Abuse; NIDA Survey Provides First National Data on Drug Use During Pregnancy; Robert Mathias; January/February 1995
- American Pregnancy Association: Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy
