Drug Usage And Pregnancy Essay

Drug Usage and Pregnancy New babies are born every day. Some babies are born healthy, whereas some are not. There are many factors that lead to a healthy baby, one of those factors include following proper prenatal care. Prenatal care consists of taking a prenatal vitamin, and visiting an obstetrician frequently. A mother’s obstetrician will monitor her fetus’ development to ensure the proper growth and development. An obstetrician will give the mother a list of safe and unsafe medications to take during her pregnancy. So, if a mother uses unsafe medications, or teratogens during her pregnancy will it harm her baby? A teratogen, is any agent that can cause abnormal prenatal development (Kail, Robert 59). Teratogens include: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and nicotine Alcohol usage during pregnancy may result in the newborn having fetal alcohol syndrome, low birth weight, or premature delivery. …show more content…
Heroin is a street drug made from the opioid morphine, and can be used by snorting, smoking, or injecting it in to the skin (March of Dimes: Heroin and Pregnancy). Like cocaine, heroin usage in pregnant women may cause premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. Heroin usage can also cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and birth defects. SIDS, is the sudden and unexplainable death of a baby less than a year old (KidsHealth from Nemours: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Birth defects are also common in babies whose mothers used heroin. Birth defects change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body, and can affect the overall health of the child (March of Dimes: Heroin and Pregnancy). Pregnant women who discontinue heroin suddenly may cause harm to her and her unborn child. Pregnant women seeking treatment may receive a prescription for an alternative drug as to slowly ween them from their dependency (March of Dimes: Heroin and