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Alcohol
Among women who delivered infants in 1988, approximately 1 in 5 reported consuming alcohol around the time of conception; approximately 1 in 20 reported drinking after discovering they were pregnant; and approximately 1 in 200 reported drinking heavily while pregnant.
Pregnant women who consume alcohol increase the risk of their unborn infant developing many physical and behaviorial abnormalities. These abnormalities, including poor physical development and mental retardation, are referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Caffeine
Although most people are able to excrete caffeine from their bodies quickly, pregnant women (especially during the later stages of pregnancy) can not. During the first trimester, women eliminate caffeine at about the same rate as when they are not pregnant. In the second trimester, however, caffeine takes twice as long to leave the body. By the third trimester, the mother's body excretes caffeine three times slower.
Knowledge of the influence of caffeine on pregnancy is very limited. The main reason for this is the difficulty of separating caffeine's effects from those of other drugs, such as nicotine and alcohol. Existing research seems to point towards a correlation between caffeine consumption and lower infant birth weights, premature deliveries, spontaneous abortions in the first trimester, and stillbirths.
Tobacco & Nicotine
Maternal cigarette smoking has important health consequences in four main areas:
Nicotine is dangerous because it crosses the placenta, increasing the blood pressure and respiratory rate of the developing fetus. Smoking women have an increased risk of placental complications and stillbirths, as well as lower birth weights. Spontaneous abortions are two times as great among smokers. This risk increases with the number of cigarettes the woman smokes.
Exposure to nicotine before birth also plays a role in negative behaviors of developing children. The babies of smokers tend to be more irritable, have less ability to control their behavior, and display a general lack of interest. Impaired hearing has also been reported.
Marijuana
The effect of marijuana on the developing fetus has not yet been firmly established. It seems safe to conclude that marijuana has no clear correlation with spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or congenital abnormality. Were such a relationship to exist, physicians and researchers would surely have reported it by now. This does not, however, eliminate other less drastic risks from possibly existing. For example, for a time it was believed that marijuana use by pregnant mothers caused low infant birthweights. This belief, however, has not yet been proven. While there seems to be a trend towards increased irritability in these infants, more research is needed to determine the marijuana's exact effects on pregnancy.
Cocaine
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 1990 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 48.6% of the female population surveyed, ages 12 to 35+, admitted to the use of any drug. In testimony to these statistics are the increased numbers of infants in the United States born exposed to drugs. Over 80% of children who contract AIDS are born to drug-abusing mothers or mothers with a drug-abusing partner.
It is believed that narcotic-dependent women may have unreliable indicators of pregnancy. Menstrual irregularities occur in 60-90% of women. As a result, many are unaware of their pregnancy until they detect movement of the fetus or notice physical enlargement of their stomachs. This awareness is further complicated by the confusion of pregnancy symptoms with signs of narcotic withdrawal. These include nausea, vomiting, pelvic cramps, fatigue, and headache.
Cocaine, as well as other narcotics, seem to have similar effects on a user's child. Cocaine decreases blood flow to the placenta and fetus. This causes higher rates of spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. The increased levels of norepinephrine can lead to increased uterine contractility and premature labor.
Fetal effects include decreased birthweight, length, and head circumference, as well as dozens of behaviorial problems, such as hyperactivity, poor feeding and sleeping patterns, irritability, and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding is not recommended for this population, as these risks can easily compound and multiply.