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Illegal Drugs And Pregnancy - Fatal Outcomes

Pregnancy is a wonderful and euphoric feeling for a woman. A woman generally feels complete when she has her baby in her arms. Eating healthy food and living a relaxed, stress-free life are the prime suggestions that a pregnant woman is given by those who are concerned for her. Anything that the would-be mother eats passes through her body to the little one inside. So, just imagine if at this crucial time, what will happen to the baby in the womb if there is an intake of drugs by the mother?

Drugs may come in varied forms, including legal and illegal drugs, prescribed medicines, and medications that are over-the-counter. This is true that there are legal drugs like alcohol and cigarettes that are really harmful during pregnancy. Alcohol and smoking at this time may result in low birth weight, mental retardation, and deformity in the facial features of the baby.

It is essential not to go in for anything that might harm the fetus, but what if a pregnant woman has an addiction to illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, Ketamine, lysergic and diethylamine, amphetamines, and marijuana.?

Ensuing is the list of the ill effects that these drugs leave:

  1. Cocaine, a highly addictive drug, causes placenta abruption and problems such as limb and heart defects, abnormalities of brain, skull, eyes, genitals and urinary tract, pre-term birth, severe bleeding, and in extreme cases, maternal death. This drug is a really powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system, many a times resulting in miscarriage.
  2. Intake of heroin during pregnancy results in addiction in the fetus, stunted fetal growth, pre-mature birth, low birth weight, mental sickness, and death of the fetus. To add to this problem, heroin-addicted mothers keep passing the drug to the baby through breast milk.
  3. Ketamine and LSD (lysergic and diethylamine) are harmful drugs that cause behavioral and leaning problems, poor muscle control, and other physical defects in the unborn baby.
  4. Methamphetamine intake during pregnancy has varying impacts including kidney-related problems, developmental and skeletal abnormalities, high blood pressure, and gross malformations.
  5. Marijuana, that is generally used in the form of cigarettes, to a large extent, results in a higher rate of abortion chances, pregnancy

complications, and many other problems during labor and delivery of the baby.
The continuous intake of illegal drugs not just affects the unborn child, but also affects the pregnant woman as a whole. A pregnant lady may face the problems like poor appetite, pre-mature labor pains, loss in immunity, recognition difficulty, sudden heavy bleeding, and loss of sleep.

Keeping in view the countless number of harmful effects that consumption of illegal drugs has on the pregnant woman as well as the fetus, such drugs should be totally avoided. No parent wants the child to face any problem, especially the types that we have discussed here.

Taking drugs at the time of pregnancy results in numerous problems even after the birth of the baby. A mother who consumes illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risks of heart and blood infections, anemia, hepatitis, and skin and other infectious diseases. Both the woman and her child suffer later in life because of her addiction. When complications of using illegal drugs are so many, then it is not at all recommended to consume such drugs for both your child's and your own safe health.