Effects of Alcohol, Drugs, And Smoking During Pregnancy!
When expectant mothers use alcohol and other drugs, they may not realize the effects that it will have on their unborn child. This is especially true during the early part of the pregnancy. Sometimes, before women even realize that they are pregnant, they will abuse alcohol and other drugs. The earliest parts of pregnancy are when the systems are forming. Such abuse can be very detrimental to the unborn baby. alcohol
It is for this reason that men and women should not use alcohol and other drugs if they are planning on having a baby anytime soon.
- The biggest effects that alcohol and drugs can have on an unborn baby include disabilities and birth defects. The babies can also have issues with behavior.
- Commonly, babies who are born to mothers that drink during the pregnancy are born with what they call fetal alcohol syndrome.
- This is one of many alcohol-related problems that babies can be born with.
- Some symptoms of this may include abnormal-looking facial features.
- This may even include eyelids that tend to look as if they are drooping.
- You will see that some of them have low birth weights, or even have heart problems when they are born. alcohol
These are,
- all huge risks that you are putting onto the baby.
- Some of the problems that these babies are born with may follow them well into adulthood.
- This may cause them to be made fun of and have other issues growing up and being socially accepted.
- Learning disorders are a huge problem that babies face when born to mothers that abuse alcohol and drugs. This is simply put – not fair to the baby.
- For a child to have to deal with these problems growing up because the parents chose to abuse alcohol and drugs is really selfish on the part of the parents.
- This really just shows that they were not ready for the responsibility of a child.
- Other drugs out there, such as heroin, cocaine, and meth may even cause low birth weights as well.
- These drugs will also cause the baby to be born in a state of withdrawal which can be very distressing to a newborn.
- They will have become dependent on these drugs as well as the mother.
This is not fair to them.
It is a very tough road ahead of them to break this chemical dependency, and they may always have some sort of issues with chemical imbalances and other mood disorders related to this.
Not only are they going to have issues when they are first born, but you will also see that some of the babies will have issues as they reach adolescence as well. This is because the imbalance will have them worrying with mood disorders such as anger, stress, aggression, and sometimes depression and thoughts of suicide. You also have to realize that being exposed to the drugs as an unborn baby naturally gives them the urge to want it.
What This Means Is,
that they will be prone to doing drugs and abusing alcohol as they get older. This is putting a predisposed pattern of addiction into them before they are even born. This is something that is well avoidable and should be considered well before you even think about becoming pregnant. People that use and abuse alcohol and other drugs really do not have any right to start having babies. It will only put the babies at risk of other problems both early and later in life.
As you can see, the effects that drinking and using recreational drugs can have on an unborn child are far too extreme to risk it. You should really never even consider the option if you are pregnant.
Remember to put the health and wellness of your unborn baby first.
- This is something that great parents do – not only during pregnancy but for the duration of the baby’s life.
- Remember this as you are trying to conceive, and pass the information along to your friends and family members that may be considering having a child.
- This is something that every expectant mother should know and understand when it comes to the well being.
Smoking And Pregnancy:
Smoking, as such, is considered harmful for health. But, pregnancy is a state where one has to be very particular about certain habits, including smoking. You might have your reasons to smoke, but not at the cost of your health, and not at all at your baby’s expense.
Who would not love to have a healthy baby? May be, smoking would-be mothers do not, or do they! If you are planning to have a baby, quit the habit of smoking first.
Do not play around with your and your child’s health.
You may have a look into the effects of smoking on pregnant mothers:
- Nicotine and carbon monoxide are poisonous substances that can cause a lot of harm inside the body.
- During pregnancy, smoking leads to an increase in the levels of carbon monoxide and nicotine in the mother’s bloodstream.
- These substances have frightening effects on the mother’s body, as the blood vessels are constricted and restricted, affecting the supply of oxygen and nutrients.
- The baby is denied its full share of nutrients and oxygen, which hampers the growth of the baby.
- You can compare the whole scenario to your being hungry and being offered an insufficient amount of food laced with poisonous substances.
- When you smoke, this is what exactly your baby experiences.
Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are likely to be premature.
- If the pregnancy lasts a full term, the baby may be born underweight and small.
- Such babies need special care under medical supervision, which extends their stay in hospital.
- During pregnancy, the baby of a smoking mother is denied proper oxygen, which can lead to miscarriages or fetal brain damage.
- Sudden infant death syndrome can be a result of smoking, according to certain studies.
- Smoking is found to affect the blood pressure of the developing baby.
- This adversely affects its development and the child’s learning ability, like attention deficit disorder retarded mental growth.
- The child may also develop respiratory problems like asthma, when young.
Once your baby is born, it still is needed to be protected from smoking:
- Smoking leads to a reduction in milk supply and can hamper breastfeeding.
- Moreover, the baby gets a fair dose of nicotine through breast milk, which can cause illness in the form of diarrhea, nausea, colic, etc.
- Second-hand smoke is not good for the baby since it affects the lungs through the nicotine it inhales.
You would not like your baby to develop breathing problems.
Advice For Pregnant Smokers:
- The general advice to women and the people around them, including men is to stop smoking prior to getting pregnant. alcohol
- Those who insist on smoking should do so outside the house and not in the presence of the mother to be.
- For the woman planning to have a baby or who is already pregnant, if smoking is a habit, it should be given up entirely or a real effort must be made to cut down.
- Even a small reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked will reduce the amount of harmful substances being passed to the developing baby.
- This can only help to produce a healthier full-term baby.
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Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
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