Negative Effects of Illegal Drugs on the Fetus
The use of illegal drugs and alcohol during pregnancy are harmful not only to the pregnant mother but also to her developing fetus. Alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, crack, and other illegal drugs have all been shown to affect the development of the fetus. One of the biggest effects on the fetus of mothers using illegal drugs during pregnancy is low birth weight. It is one of the most common problems from the abuse of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. It is also a condition that presents a host of potentially serious consequences to the health of the infant “Low birth weight is serious because it is a major cause of infant death and increases the risk of illness. It is associated with mental and physical handicaps, learning disorders, and behavior problems” (Pregnancy &, 1998, 1).
It has long been proven that abuse of illegal drugs like cocaine and alcohol cause potential health risks to the mother and the fetus. For example, cocaine or crack use have been shown to produce newborns who are addicted to the drugs. Further, the abuse of cocaine presents a higher risk of miscarriages because it can reduce the flow of blood to an unborn child causing lack of oxygen. Strokes in unborn babies have also been caused by cocaine use” (Pregnancy &, 1998, 1). Like most scientific research; however, we find in the literature that there are conflicting reports about which drugs are harmful to the fetus and actually cause birth defects. For example, many research studies and many health care workers argue that the use of cocaine is dangerous to fetal development. However, at Motherisk, a pregnancy and drug abuse program in Toronto, the director, Anne Pastuszak, recently published an article after a two year period of waiting because it argues that a limited amount of cocaine use during pregnancy does not cause birth defects “While large does of cocaine throughout pregnancy should be a...