Home » Things to Avoid during Pregnancy » Drugs During pregnancy you need to plan your every step. Anything you consume seeps into the body of your baby. You constantly need to abide by the prescribed list of things to avoid during pregnancy. Using drugs may spell doomsday for the cognitive health and growth of your child. Now the term 'drugs' generally means illegal drugs. This is a faulty notion. Even prescribed drugs can have harmful effect both on the health of the mother as well as that of the newborn. So you should be always on guard as to what you can take and what you can't. Even if you have an innocuous looking cold or cough, you must consult your physician before having any medicine. Many people in underdeveloped countries suffer from this ignorance. It's been seen that child mortality rate is on the higher side in countries that lack a sound medical infrastructure and general awareness. Now the term 'drug' may refer to:

Prescribed drugs
Legal drugs
Illegal medicines
Over-the-counter medications

Drugs which are legal include alcohol and cigarette. Those who smoke during pregnancy not only put their lives at risk, but also expose their babies to increased health complications. It's been surveyed that 13% of US women smoke during pregnancy. This results in an unfortunate scenario as newborns get struck with numerous health hazards.

Smoking cigarettes is just the tip of the iceberg as far as drug addiction is concerned. It is some of the other addictions that really endanger the life of your newborn baby. By allowing this dangerous indulgence to go on, mothers also fall victim to many complications. The tell-tale signs include fatigue, restlessness, disorientation and other types of emotional numbness and vacuum. The health hazards may include placental abruption, miscarriage, premature labor and so on.

Now find what is likely to happen if a pregnant woman falls prey to some of the dangerous drugs.

Marijuana
Marijuana has a higher percentage of toxins and it chokes up the normal breathing procedure of your baby. It eventually hampers the growth of the child in mother's womb.

Specific impact of Marijuana on pregnancy is yet to be figured out as those who inhale Marijuana also consume alcohol and other drugs. Smoking Marijuana at the time of pregnancy increases carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the blood and prevents the normal supply of oxygen to the baby.

Cocaine
Cocaine directly gets into the circulation system of your baby by crossing the placenta. The natural cycle of cocaine reduction is notably slower in fetus than in an adult person and it means that traces of this deadly drug remain in the system of the fetus for a prolonged period. Researches conducted by the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) show that cocaine consumption may cause miscarriage during the initial stages of pregnancy and placental abruption during the later stages. Placental abruption may pose severe threats, including premature birth, bleeding and fetal death.