Subscribe To This Site
Drug Addiction PregnancyA drug addiction pregnancy can prove disastrous for your unborn child, causing damage that the child will have to endure his entire life. Here are some of the effects drugs have on a developing baby.Whenever a pregnant woman takes drugs, virtually all of them pass easily through the placenta - the organ that provides nourishment to the baby - and into your unborn child. These drugs are toxic to your baby, can damage the neurons in his brain and possibly kill him.  Using drugs during pregnancy stunts the growth of the baby. He will be born with a low-birth weight and have a possible drug addiction - and withdrawals - that he will have to endure. Those withdrawal symptoms will put stress on his organs.A drug addiction pregnancy also increases the mother’s risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, hepatitis, infectious diseases and skin infections. Marijuana and PregnancyUsing marijuana during pregnancy can cause a possible miscarriage, slow growth of the baby, premature delivery and stillbirth. A newborn who has been exposed to marijuana in utero can suffer excitability and irritability.Crack/CocaineNewborns who were exposed to crack/cocaine in utero may suffer seizures, have a heart defect, suffer neurological damage and go through addiction withdrawals.HeroinInfants exposed to heroin while in the womb can have breathing problems, withdrawal symptoms and face a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.AIDSPregnant women who share needles also face a risk of AIDS which they pass onto their newborn children.As They GrowAs these children grow, they face a higher risk of behavioral problems, delayed speech, learning disabilities, behavior and social problems. According to the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, children exposed prenatally to drugs typically exhibit the following symptoms:Birth to 15 MonthsThese infants will have unpredictable sleeping patterns, difficulty with feeding, be irritable, have atypical social interactions, delayed language development and poor fine motor development.16 Months to 36 MonthsThey will have atypical social interactions and few play strategies.Age Three to FiveThese children will have a short attention span, easily lose control, be moody and have difficulty going from one activity to the next. They may have trouble understanding and processing instructions they see and hear.In later life, these children are at greater risk of abuse and neglect, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Learn More about Pregnancy
Babies born with drug addiction always have a hard time of it, but for a baby born with an addiction to crack cocaine, life can be especially grim. That's because the effects of crack cocaine last longer and are far more devastating. Read more. |
Free Ezine
We'll let you know about the latest happenings in treatments for drug addiction, effects of different drugs and where you can go to get help. In the future we'll also have real life drug addiction stories and how others are getting off drugs. This ezine is your source for what's going on with surviving drug addiction.