The Basics
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate
What can happen if I drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy? " Drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs during pregnancy can cause serious problems in your baby. Women should stop drinking alcohol and taking any illegal drugs before they try to get pregnant. This is important because:
- Even small amounts of alcohol or illegal drugs can be harmful to a pregnancy.
- Women do not always know they are pregnant for the first few weeks of their pregnancy.
What problems can happen if I drink alcohol during pregnancy? " Babies of mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy can have fetal alcohol syndrome (also called "FAS " ). This condition causes brain damage and growth problems. Compared with normal babies, babies with FAS tend to weigh less, have smaller heads, and be very fussy. When they grow up, they have life-long problems in how they think and act.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can also make women more likely to have a "stillbirth. " A stillbirth is when a baby dies before it is born, in the second half of pregnancy (after 20 weeks).
What problems can happen if I take illegal drugs during pregnancy? " That depends on which illegal drug you take, when you take it, how much of it you take, and for how long. Not every woman who uses an illegal drug during pregnancy has extra problems. But many women " and their babies " do.
The problems can also depend on other things, such as whether the mother smokes or drinks alcohol while taking illegal drugs.
Doctors do not know for sure exactly what each illegal drug does to a pregnancy or a growing baby. Thats because it is a very hard thing to study. Women who use illegal drugs during pregnancy often use more than one drug. They also tend to have other problems in addition to drug use. If a mother who uses more than one drug has problems with her pregnancy, it is tough to know for sure which drug caused which problem. And the problems might be caused by something other than her drug use.
Despite these issues, there is enough good evidence to convince doctors that women should avoid all illegal drugs and alcohol during pregnancy. There is also good proof that the following illegal drugs can cause certain problems:
- Heroin " Women who use heroin during pregnancy are at risk for many problems that can be dangerous for them and their babies. For example, these women can get infections that also infect the baby. The babies of mothers who use heroin can weigh less than normal or have a serious problem called "opioid withdrawal syndrome " when they are born.
- Cocaine " Pregnant women who take cocaine are more likely to have problems with the placenta. The placenta is the organ that forms between the mother and her baby during pregnancy. It brings the baby nutrients and oxygen and carries away waste. Using cocaine can cause the placenta to separate from the mother's uterus before delivery. This can be harmful for the mother and baby.
Babies born to mothers who use cocaine during pregnancy have a higher chance of being born too early (called "premature " ) or being too small. These problems can affect the baby's feeding, sleeping, breathing, vision, and hearing.
Using other illegal drugs, such as marijuana or methamphetamine, during pregnancy might also cause problems for the baby either at birth or later in life. More research is needed to understand how these drugs affect pregnancy.
What should I do if I am pregnant and already use alcohol or illegal drugs? " If you are pregnant and drink alcohol or use illegal drugs, speak to your doctor or nurse. He or she can give you advice on the best and safest way to quit. If you use alcohol or heroin a lot, stopping suddenly can be dangerous for you or your baby. Your doctor or nurse can help you get off alcohol or heroin safely, so that your baby can be as healthy as possible. As part of this process, you might need to take certain medicines. Your doctor or nurse can also put you in touch with counselors or other people you can call for support.
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete.
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014.
Topic 85731 Version 5.0
Release: 22.8 - C22.206
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