Drug and Alcohol and Pregnant Woman

DRUGS AND PREGNANCY

When a woman becomes pregnant, it is very important to follow a healthy way to eat a lot of nutritious food, get lots of rest, and exercise regularly. It is also vital that she avoid anything that might harm her or her baby.

It is especially important to give up alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.

For a pregnant woman, drug abuse is doubly dangerous. First, drugs may harm her own health, interfering with her ability to support the pregnancy. Second, some drugs can directly impair prenatal development.

All illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, pose dangers to a pregnant woman. Legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, are also dangerous, and even medical drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, can be harmful. For her own health and the health of her baby-to-be, a woman should avoid all of them as much as possible, from the time she first plans to become pregnant or learns that she is pregnant.

Studies of marijuana use by pregnant women are inconclusive, because marijuana is often used with other drugs, such as tobacco and alcohol. Like them, it is associated with premature birth and low-birth weight babies. Some drugs can be harmful when used at any time during pregnancy; others, however,