Addiction and Pregnancy
- Health Effects of Marijuana During Pregnancy
No amount of marijuana has been proven safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first official guidelines, advising women who are pregnant or nursing to avoid marijuana use because it isn’t safe for them or their children.
Whether smoked, eaten in food (edibles), or vaped, marijuana is stronger than ever before, which makes use during pregnancy especially risky for a developing baby’s health. Marijuana contains nearly 500 chemicals, including the mind-altering compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These chemicals can pass through a woman’s placenta to her baby during pregnancy.
Studies show that marijuana use during pregnancy may be harmful to a baby’s health and cause a variety of problems, including:
Fetal growth restriction (when a baby doesn’t gain the appropriate amount of weight before birth).
A greater risk of stillbirth
Preterm birth (being born before 37 weeks of gestation)
Low birth weight
Long-term brain development issues affecting memory, learning, and behavior
- Marijuana in Breast Milk
Marijuana use while breastfeeding also comes with risk of harms to the baby.
THC and other chemicals in marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk, increasing the baby’s risk for problems with brain development.
Alcohol and Pregnancy in the United States
According to the 2019 NSDUH, 9.5 percent of pregnant women ages 15 to 44 in the United States used alcohol in the past month.36
The prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome in the United States was estimated by the Institute of Medicine in 1996 to be between 0.5 and 3.0 cases per 1,000.37
An NIAAA-supported study of more than 6,000 first-graders across four U.S. communities estimated that as many as 1–5 percent of first-grade children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).38
Trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal (TEAF)
No hay una cantidad segura de alcohol que se pueda tomar durante el embarazo o mientras se esté tratando de quedar embarazada. Tampoco hay un momento durante el embarazo en el que sea seguro beber alcohol. Todos los tipos de alcohol son igualmente dañinos, incluso todos los vinos y la cerveza.
Los TEAF son prevenibles si la mujer no bebe alcohol durante el embarazo.
Por qué el alcohol es peligroso
El alcohol en la sangre de la madre pasa al bebé a través del cordón umbilical. Beber alcohol durante el embarazo puede causar aborto espontáneo, muerte fetal y una variedad de discapacidades físicas, intelectuales y del comportamiento para toda la vida. Estas discapacidades se conocen como trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal (TEAF). Los niños con TEAF pueden tener las siguientes características o conductas:
Características faciales anormales como, por ejemplo, surco menos marcado entre la nariz y el labio superior (este pliegue se llama filtro o surco subnasal).
Cabeza de tamaño pequeño.
Estatura más baja de la estatura promedio.
Bajo peso corporal.
Mala coordinación.
Conducta hiperactiva.
Dificultad para prestar atención.
Mala memoria.
Dificultades en la escuela (especialmente en matemáticas).
Discapacidades del aprendizaje.
Retrasos en el habla y el lenguaje.
Discapacidad intelectual o coeficiente intelectual bajo.
Capacidad de razonamiento y juicio deficientes.
Problemas de succión y dificultades para dormir en los bebés.
Problemas de audición y de visión.
Problemas del corazón, los riñones o los huesos.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems.
Alcohol in the mother’s blood passes to the baby through the umbilical cord. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. These disabilities are known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Children with FASDs might have the following characteristics and behaviors:
Polysubstance Use in Pregnancy
Use of multiple substances in pregnancy is common
Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)
Small head size
Shorter-than-average height
Low body weight
Poor coordination
Hyperactive behavior
Difficulty with attention
Poor memory
Difficulty in school (especially with math)
Learning disabilities
Speech and language delays
Intellectual disability or low IQ
Poor reasoning and judgment skills
Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
Vision or hearing problems
Problems with the heart, kidney, or bones
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)