The Effects Of Drugs And Alcohol On Pregnant Women And...

The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Pregnant Women and Babies When hearing about babies born addicted to drugs or babies born after being previously exposed to alcohol, most people are appalled and slightly outraged. Pregnant women who are exposed to drugs and alcohol are risking the welfare of their unborn child because most everything the mother puts in her body gets passed on to the baby either by passing through the placental barrier or the umbilical cord. Drugs are considered any substance that makes a change to the physiological aspects of the body. Some drugs that affect pregnant women include caffeine, over the counter drugs, tobacco, and illegal drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine. Based on the definition of a drug, alcohol is considered a drug. Alcohol has many adverse side effects for pregnant women and their babies. These adverse side effects from alcohol usually stay with these babies through their lives and have lasting effects. The use of substances that are consi dered to be drugs while pregnant is advised against because of the side effects caused to the baby. However, some women choose to ignore these advisements. What Are Drugs? Drugs are any substance that alters the physiology of the body. (McKim and Hancock 2013) Drugs can range from coffee to alcohol and the substances considered over the counter drugs to illegal drugs. A large number of substances deemed to be drugs have many addictive qualities. These addictive qualities lead to chronicShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Drug Use On Infants1572 Words   |  7 PagesDrug Use on Newborns Many women abuse drugs whether they are pregnant or not. In both cases, many women are unaware of the consequences of what drugs can do to their body. However, for pregnant women, the situation is completely different. â€Å"Studies show that using drugs -- legal or illegal -- during pregnancy has a direct impact on the fetus† (Gaither 1). 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However, not many the data or research addresses specific effects of marijuana on pregnancy women because women who use marijuana also tend to smoke cigarettes and are more likely to use other drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. Thus, it is difficult to identify the precise effects of marijuana on pregnant women and fetus (LeemaqzRead MorePrenatal Development And Development Of A Fetus1591 Words   |  7 Pagesthe age and nutrition of the mother, exercise, and stress levels. On behalf of environmental factors that can have a negative effect on growth and development of the fetus, teratogens which are substances in the environment that can have a harmful effect on the development of the fetus (Stein, Kline Kharrazi, 1984) are the main environmental threats. The detrimental effects of teratogens depend on many different factors such as the amount of exposure that the fetus is in contact with, heredity, and