Pregnancy 101: Smoking, drugs, and their life-long effects

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It is a fact that smoking and doing drugs are dangerous, more so when done by a woman carrying a child. Women’s actions during pregnancy affect their unborn child more than they think, as they share same bloodstream through their placental connection.

In essence, whatever the mother takes in will also be absorbed by the fetus. This is the main reason why smoking and taking drugs are highly discouraged during pregnancy.

Smoking

There are 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, including lead, cyanide, and other cancer-producing substances. These substances enter the mother’s bloodstream, which is the baby’s source of oxygen and nutrients. In addition, nicotine and carbon monoxide are two of the substances that contribute the most to pregnancy complications, which include premature delivery, low birth weight, and stillbirth.

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Drugs

In the same way as the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke do, drugs like crystal meth, marijuana, and cocaine also pass through the umbilical cord to the baby. These are just some of the negative effects of drug use during pregnancy:

• Low birth weight

• Miscarriage

• Premature birth

• Heart problems in infants

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• Withdrawal symptoms after giving birth

• Breathing problems during birth

• Placental abruption

• Cot death

Should the baby survive without any obvious defect, he or she may develop learning and behavior problems while growing up.

Dr. Cristian Andronic is well-versed in all aspects of low- and high-risk pregnancies and other related conditions. For more updates on obstetrics/gynecology, visit this Facebook page.