Dangers of Taking Drugs During Pregnancy
For many women, pregnancy is both an exciting time and a stressful time of life. During this period, a woman's responsibilities increase and she must be vigilant in her efforts to get plenty of rest, eat nutritious foods and avoid ingesting substances which could harm her developing fetus.
According to Michael R. Foley, Clinical Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, it has been estimated that up to ninety percent of pregnant women will take some form of a drug whether it be prescription or over-the-counter, social (nicotine and alcohol) or illicit (illegal street drugs). In general, these drugs can harm the unborn baby, and they should be avoided. As many as three percent of all birth defects are caused by the use of drugs during pregnancy.
In some cases, medications or nutritional supplements are prescribed during pregnancy when they are necessary for the well-being of the mother and the baby. If a physician chooses to prescribe medications during pregnancy, the physician has to take into account what is described as the medication's "teratogenic rating." The study of teratology came into its own during the early 1800s, when it "became a science free from considerations of God's direct interference in natural processes". Teratogens are agents that interfere with normal embryonic development, such as alcohol, varicella (chicken pox), or x-rays. Medications are rated with a teratogenic warning to indicate the level of risk to the fetus that the medication poses. As outlined by the Food and Drug Administration section of the Code of Federal Regulations (2010), categories of teratogenic risk are indicated by the letters A, B, C, D and X, with A, B, and C being the safest options. D and X are considered unsafe for use during pregnancy because they are known to cause harm to an unborn fetus. Some chemotherapy agents fall into the D and X category. If a pregnant mother is diagnosed with fast-growing cancer and could die before the baby is born, her physician may offer her the option of taking treatment despite the serious risk to the developing fetus.
Medication taken by the mother reaches the developing baby in the same way oxygen does. Oxygen, nutrients, and medications in the mother's bloodstream cross the placenta to the baby through the blood supply. Drugs which cross over the placenta can harm the unborn child in several ways: if the drug acts directly on the developing fetus, it can cause birth defects, abnormal development or even death; if the drug acts on the placenta it may cause the constriction of blood vessels, thereby reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus which can lead to a low birth weight or underdevelopment; and if the drug acts on the muscles of the uterus it can induce preterm labor.
Sometimes doctors must bear in mind the way in which the body processes a medication, and the chemical's longevity in the body's systems, in order to assess possible dangers to a fetus. For example, Accutane is a medication used to treat acne; this drug is derived from vitamin A, is fat soluble and can be stored in fat cells for as long as two weeks after the last dose has been ingested. Because Accutane is rated as an X-class drug in terms of teratogenic risk, a physician will recommend that female patients avoid getting pregnant until treatment has ended and several weeks have passed. Also, live virus vaccines such as those for chickenpox (varicella) are not given to pregnant women due to the risk of birth defects by the virus itself.
For many people it seems unusual to consider alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine as drugs; they aren't thought of as substances used for treating or preventing any diseases. Yet these substances are defined as drugs because they affect the central nervous system. Caffeine and nicotine stimulate CNS and increase focus and alertness. Both also give a brief boost of energy and elevate the mood. Alcohol depresses the CNS and decreases focus and alertness. It can also depress the mood.
Women who smoke during pregnancy often give birth to small babies. When a mother smokes throughout her entire pregnancy, her baby is at a higher risk of heart, brain or facial birth defects. Smoking elevates the risk for preterm labor and miscarriages Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), premature detachment of the placenta, and placenta previa (a placenta that grows in the wrong location in the womb causing delivery complications). It is believed that physical, cognitive and behavioral deficiencies are probably caused by both carbon monoxide which reduces oxygen levels in the body, and by nicotine which causes the body to release hormones which constrict blood vessels and greatly limits oxygen for the fetus.