When you are pregnant, you are not just "eating for two." You also breathe and drink for two, so it is important to carefully consider what you give to your baby. If you smoke, use alcohol or take illegal drugs, so does your unborn baby.
First, don't smoke. Smoking during pregnancy passes nicotine and cancer-causing drugs to your baby. Smoke also keeps your baby from getting nourishment and raises the risk of stillbirth or premature birth. Don't drink alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink while pregnant. Alcohol can cause life-long physical and behavioral problems in children, including fetal alcohol syndrome. Don't use illegal drugs. Using illegal drugs may cause underweight babies, birth defects or withdrawal symptoms after birth.
If you are pregnant and you smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs, get help. Your health care provider can recommend programs to help you quit. You and your baby will be better off.
National Women's Health Information Center
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Drinking and Your Pregnancy
(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) - http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/DrinkingPregnancy_HTML/pregnancy.htm
Also available in Spanish http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/spanish.htm - Illicit Drug Use during Pregnancy(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1169.asp
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Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, and Pregnancy(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp170.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/sp170.cfm
- Sporadic Binge Drinking in Pregnancy Can Harm Fetus(01/26/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_74270.html
- Smoking When Pregnant Affects Thyroid for Both(01/14/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73798.html
- Moms-to-Be Who Drink May Damage Fetus' White Matter(12/19/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73016.html
- More News on Pregnancy and Substance Abuse http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_p.html#pregnancyandsubstanceabuse
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Cocaine and Pregnancy(Organization of Teratology Information Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.otispregnancy.org/pdf/cocaine.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://otispregnancy.org/pdf/Cocaina_y_Embarazo.pdf
- Drinking Alcohol during Pregnancy(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1170.asp
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Drugs(Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction) - http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/common/drugs.html
- Marijuana and Pregnancy(Organization of Teratology Information Services) - Links to PDF - http://otispregnancy.org/pdf/marijuana.pdf
- Methamphetamine/Dextroamphetamine and Pregnancy(Organization of Teratology Information Services) - Links to PDF - http://otispregnancy.org/pdf/methamphetamines.pdf
- Smoking and Pregnancy(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=33573
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy and Substance Abuse(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=pregnancy+AND+(%22drug+abuse%22+OR+alcohol+OR+tobacco+OR+smoking+OR+addiction)
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Behavioral Problems Related to Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy Manifest Early in Childhood(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N6/behavioral.html
- Smoking During Pregnancy Associated with Artery Damage in Children(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=613
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Vaccine May Reduce Fetal Exposure to Nicotine(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N3/vaccine.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The clinical content of preconception care: alcohol, tobacco, and illicit... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19081427&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Strengthening the case: prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with increased... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19047223&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: ACOG Committee Opinion No. 422: at-risk drinking and illicit drug... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19037056&tool=MedlinePlus
- Pregnancy and Substance Abuse -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=substance+related+disorders[majr]+OR+smoking[majr]+OR+substance+abuse+detection[majr]+OR+alcohol+drinking[majr]+OR+cocaine[majr]+OR+tobacco+smoke+pollution[majr]+AND+pregnancy[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+NOT+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/member-lookup/disclaimer.cfm
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/
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March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation - http://www.marchofdimes.com/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nacersano.org/
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National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/defaultspan.htm
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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
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National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov/
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Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women and Recent Mothers: 2002 to 2007(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Links to PDF - http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/prevline/pdfs/NSDUH08-0911.pdf
- PeriStats(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/peristats/
- Preventing Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Before, During, and After Pregnancy(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/factsheets/Prevention/smoking.htm
- Substance Use During Pregnancy: 2002 and 2003 Update(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/pregnancy/pregnancy.htm
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fetalalcoholsyndrome.html
- High Risk Pregnancy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/highriskpregnancy.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Pregnancy and Reproduction - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancyandreproduction.html
- Substance Abuse Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/substanceabuseproblems.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Pregnancy and Substance Abuse is the National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov/