Healthy Baby Awareness

Dangers of Pre-natal Legal and Illegal Drug Use.

To reduce the harm in pregnancy, men as well as women need to be aware of the risks associated with tobacco, alcohol, prescribed drugs and illegal drugs.

The attitudes of boyfriends, partners and friends can have a huge influence on each other’s legal and illegal drug use. Choosing to spend time with non-drug or alcohol using friends can help to prevent substance use in pregnancy and reduce the associated health risks to the pregnant female and unborn child.

Although not all drug-exposed babies will be affected, some will and they will be affected at birth; other children might look normal at birth and not show problems until years later.

All illegal and legal drugs of misuse including tobacco, alcohol and prescribed medication such as benzodiazepines can affect the unborn child.

Pre-natal care and connection to the health care system e.g. alcohol & drug services is important for the mother and baby and can lead to treatment if needed.Good parenting can help these babies but it can be difficult to be a good parent when you are using alcohol or drugs.

A pregnant mums choice of using alcohol tobacco and/or illegal drugs during the pregnancy will threaten the growth and the well being of the unborn child. Mental health problems in children and young people are often associated with alcohol and drug dependency. Illegal drug use amongst pregnant women can cause pre-term delivery,lower birth weight, smaller-than-normal headsize, miscarriages, genital and urinary tract deformities and damage to the nervous system.

 

 

• Alcohol:
  Babies born to mothers who drink heavily during pregnancy are putting their babies at risk from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS produces slow growth, damage to the unborn child’s nervous system, facial abnormalities and mental retardation.
  
  
• Tobacco:
  Another legal drug associated with young people, poverty and reduced educational achievement.
  Cigarette smoking limits the growing foetus supply of oxygen and food inthe womb, causing low birth rate of an average of 150-250 grams compared to babies born to non-smoking mothers.
  Cigarettes also contain poisonous chemicals e.g. nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Nicotine has been found in breast milk.
  
  
• Over-The-Counter Drugs:
  These include things like cold cures, antihistamines, allergy medications, vitamins, painkillers, herbal teas, antacids, laxatives and diet pills.
  They are easy to get from chemists, health food shops and supermarkets, and we don’t usually think of these medicines as harmful. However, medical research indicates that, particularly if taken in higher than the recommended dose, they can be harmful. Always check with your doctor or chemist before taking any medicines or cough mixtures.
  Further information here
  
  
• Cannabis Affects the Reproductive Process:
  Studies in the USA show that “Cannabis lowers the male’stestosterone levels, sperm production decreases and the female hormone cycles are disrupted. Babies born to cannabis–using mothers are on average smaller, have behavioural and learning problems and are 10 times more likely to develop leukaemia.
  USA National Drug Policy Alliance (NDPA) state that boys can become more feminine, fewer sperm are produced and some sperm are abnormal and impotence can occur.
  
  
• Cocaine:
  Pregnant cocaine using women showed higher levels of depression, general mental distress even after the first month after the birth of the baby. Cocaine–exposed children at 6 years showed a lack of educational achievement and learning skill defects e.g. poor attention, disorganisation and less abstract thinking.
  
  
• Opiate/Heroin:
  Mothers who choose to use opiate based drugs e.g. heroin during pregnancy are putting their babies at risk from the inconsistent strengths of the drug and the drug impurities (bulking/cutting agents.) A heroin Detox usually takes place in an in-patient setting and is the first step in the treatment process, although it does not address the physical and psychological aspects of heroin dependency. The biggest concern is that Detox during pregnancy can cause miscarriage
  
  
• Methadone:
  There is no proof to show that there is an additional risk to the development of the baby during pregnancy whilst on a stable dose of methadone… being stable on methadone is better for the baby (and the baby’s mother) than being unstable on illegal drugs or withdrawal distress to the baby in the womb. Pregnant women who are using street heroin should seek support from their GP or local drug agency in getting a script and stabilising their lifestyle.

Luton area:

SNAP: Tel. 01582 419584

PUKE: Tel. 01582 723434

ADIBOP: Tel. 01582 519503 or 519504

BRITANNIC HOUSE: Tel. 01582 657558

LUTON GUM: Tel. 01582 497070

 

Sources:

Barry M. Lester et al (2004) Harm reduction Journal, Substance use during pregnancy: time for policy to catch up with research. BioMed Central: USA

Harm Reduction Journal

National Drugs Prevention Alliance

Methadone handbook: Women and methadone.

Further contacts and resourses can be found here

If you or your Community/Youth Group would like to work on a project concerning a relevant social issue with SNAP e.g. Abuse, Drugs, Crime, Homelessness, Poverty, Racism, Isolation etc., then please contact us.