The use of drugs and substance abuse during pregnancy

The use of drugs and substance abuse during pregnancy

The use of drugs and substance abuse during pregnancy has become a problem that is increasing in society, especially in the minority communities who lack information on the effects of these drugs. Therefore this has become adverse neonatal and prenatal outcomes. Both the licit and illicit drug use during the period of pregnancy by mothers can have major effects of detrimental on the newborn. Newborns who are born under exposure to drugs are more likely to be microcephalic and preterm, so most of them will require resuscitation delivery rooms and admission in NICU. This makes them have longer stay in hospitals than infants who are not exposed to drugs.

Maternal drug abuse primary prevention is always optimal. However, it is possible and should be encouraged to prevent this problem of babies being born with complications from drugs. Professionals in the healthcare system need to be more aware of the symptoms and signs resulting from the babies who are born as a result of maternal drug withdrawal and how to prevent these problems in the period of newborns. There should also be advocating for babies beyond the period of newborns. More support programs and thorough research are needed to improve the outcomes resulting from short- and long-term and drug-exposed infants’ development. The programs should aim at teaching and giving proper information to the communities who are considered minorities so that they become aware of the drug substance abuse effect on their infants when they are pregnant. They should be put as ambassadors in the communities they live in to spread the information to all mothers about the negative effects of drugs so that children are born without complications.