Drugs of Abuse Where can I find help for a drug abuse problem?

Drug Abuse And Fertility
Women that are abusing drugs should not try to conceive a child. It is not safe under any circumstances for mother or baby to be taking drugs that are not approved by the doctor.

Drug Abuse And Pregnancy
There are many dangers to taking drugs during pregnancy. This includes illegal drugs, prescription drugs and over the counter medications. Unless the drug/medication that you are taking has been prescribed or approved by your healthcare provider, you should not take it. When women take drugs that are not approved, they increase the chances of delivering an unhealthy baby. If you suffer from a drug addiction, you should talk to your doctor about the problem. In no stage of pregnancy is any type of drug abuse considered safe. Taking drugs can cause your baby's heart, limbs, facial features, eyes and nervous system to form improperly. When a woman abuses drugs, she also increases her chances of having a miscarriage, stillbirth. premature delivery or low birth weight baby. If a woman has a drug addiction during her pregnancy, her baby can be born with a drug addiction and can suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can cause the baby to have tremors, muscle spasms, sucking difficulties, irritability and sleeplessness, vomiting, diarrhea and joint stiffness. If the mother has injected drugs into her body, she has put the baby at risk of contracting HIV or AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis. When a pregnant mother takes cocaine, crack or methamphetamine (speed or ice) it causes blood vessels to tighten so that the heart beats faster and blood pressure rises. This adds stress on the baby's system and the baby's growth can be slowed. The risk of miscarriage, premature labor and possible bleeding are increased by using these drugs as well. The use of heroine and other narcotics increases the danger of premature birth and can create problems such as low birth-weight, breathing difficulties, low blood sugar and bleeding within the baby's head.

When a pregnant mother abuses PCP, her baby will mostly likely show signs of intoxication for a few days after birth because it is passed through the placenta. Babies that are born addicted to PCP go through withdrawal. This can cause symptoms such as lethargy and tremors.

Marijuana is a common drug of choice and unfortunately, many people do not think it is as bad. Premature birth and low birth-weight babies are typical in women that use marijuana during pregnancy. Marijuana also affects the baby's ability to respond to visual stimulation and can cause developmental problems after birth. Babies that are exposed to marijuana in utero often have difficulty with visual perception, understanding language, decision-making, concentration and memory.

Even though most prescription drugs and over the counter medications are not considered drugs of abuse, they still pose threats to developing babies. Many medications have side effects that are harmful during pregnancy. All medications should be approved by a healthcare provider before being used. Some numbers
NIDA estimates that about 5.5 percent, or 221,000 women, used an illicit drug at least once during pregnancy, and thus 221,000 babies were born drug exposed. Cocaine was used during pregnancy by 1.1 percent or 45,000 women.Note: This topic is for support from and for those who want information about drugs of abuse during pregnancy. This is not a pro-drug / anti-drug discussion, drugs are bad, period. Judging, hateful, preaching comments and comments that don't add anything to the subject are unwanted and may trigger deletion of your account without warning.



Comments: Drugs of Abuse

There are no comments on this topic yet.

All forums   latest comments
Trying to conceive   latest comments
Pregnancy   latest comments
Birth   latest comments
Birth defects   latest comments
Babies   latest comments