Basics
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
Resources
For You
Summary
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.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
Latest News
- Kids Born to Opioid-Addicted Moms Seem to Fare Poorly in School (01/16/2017, HealthDay)
- Smoking in Pregnancy Tied to Kidney Damage in Kids (12/22/2016, HealthDay)
- Pot Use in Pregnancy on The Upswing, Study Finds (12/19/2016, HealthDay)
Related Issues
- Pregnant? Don't Smoke! (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
- Alcohol during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
- CDC Vital Signs: Alcohol and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Cocaine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Ecstasy, Methamphetamine and Other Club Drugs (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Heroin and Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Marijuana and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Methamphetamine/Dextroamphetamine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Smoking During Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Smoking during Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Tobacco Use and Pregnancy (Department of Health and Human Services)
Health Check Tools
- Smoking Quiz: Do You Need Help to Quit? (American Cancer Society)
Statistics and Research
- 18 Percent of Pregnant Women Drink Alcohol during Early Pregnancy (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking Among Women of Childbearing Age: United States, 2011-2013 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Buprenorphine During Pregnancy Reduces Neonate Distress (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Dramatic Increases in Maternal Opioid Use and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- PeriStats: Perinatal Statistics (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure Linked with Problems (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Substance Use during Pregnancy Varies by Race and Ethnicity (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Trends in Substances of Abuse among Pregnant Women and Women of Childbearing Age in Treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Women and Tobacco Use (American Lung Association)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy and Substance Abuse (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Also in Spanish
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Teenagers
- Characteristics of Pregnant Teen Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
Men
- Paternal Exposures and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Alcohol and pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Neonatal abstinence syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Smoking and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF