slideshare final assignment

1. THE EFFECTS OF USING
DRUGS WHILE PREGNANT
Chantelle Ingram

2. COCAINE
• Cocaine causes a quick high immediately followed by an intense depression and
extreme craving for more of the drug
• The use of cocaine while pregnant increases the chance of miscarriages or sudden
death later on in the pregnancy
• The use of cocaine may also cause premature labor to occur
• Using cocaine while pregnant can cause the placenta to remove itself from the
uterine wall before labor, causing bleeding which can lead to death for both he child
and mother

3. COCAINE
• Pregnant women using cocaine increase the risk of their child being born with
several disabilities
• These disabilities may include issues in brain development leading to learning
disabilities later on and physical deformities of the genitals or kidneys
• Once a child is born from a mother addicted to cocaine the child may have an
extremely difficult time bonding with its mother

4. HEROIN
• Heroin effects the central nervous system and brain
• The use of heroin can cause cases severe as respiratory failure, coma, and death
• Much like cocaine, heroin can cause premature birth and sudden death in unborn
babies
• Heroin can also cause placental abruption

5. HEROIN
• Children born to mothers with heroin addictions may also become addicted to the
drug
• Once the addicted child is born it will go through withdrawals and may die
• Although the use of heroin is dangerous while pregnant, immediately stopping use
is dangerous as well as the sudden change can be just as harmful to the baby
• The use of heroin may also lead to the baby being born with HIV

6. METHAMPHETAMINE
• The effects of meth on an unborn child is not fully known as other drugs are often
associated with the use of meth
• Along with cocaine and heroin, placental abruption is common in women that use
meth
• unborn children exposed to meth run the risk of being premature and may also be
prone to heart and brain abnormalities
• As the child gets older they will be more easily stressed
• ADHD is also common in children who's mothers used meth

7. MARIJUANA
• Unlike cocaine and heroin, marijuana is slightly less harmful to a fetus
• The use of marijuana during pregnancy may cause respiratory issues
• Children are also more likely to be premature or have a lower birth weight if the
mother smokes marijuana
• Some newborns experience withdrawal symptoms when marijuana is smoked during
pregnancy

8. MARIJUANA
• children who's mothers smoked during pregnancy are found to have more
aggression and are more prone to depression than those who do not smoke during
pregnancy
• Exposure to marijuana has also linked children to learning disabilities
• Newborns exposed to marijuana prenatally are likely to be more tempermental and
less responsive to calming methods

9. CIGARETTES
• Smoking causes loss of oxygen to the bloodstream resulting in lower oxygen levels
being delivered to the fetus
• Smoking increases the chances of both premature and still births by 50%
• premature birth may lead to underdeveloped lungs which may lead to respiratory
problems in the future
• Smoking while pregnant may cause the child to have a heart defect

10. CIGARETTES
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of life long effects on a child
including:
Learning disabilities
Lower intelligence
Behavioral issues
And physical defects such as asthma

11. ALCOHOL
• Alcohol carries the highest chances of a child being born with a birth defect
• A fetus is unable to efficiently break down alcohol
• The blood alcohol of the child may be significantly higher than the parents if alcohol
is consumed
• Alcoholism during pregnancy can lead to defects such as smaller brains, hearts, and
spines

12. ALCOHOL
• Alcohol increases the chance of miscarriage and stillbirths
• As little as one drink a day increases the child's chances of having learning
disabilities
• Alcohol can cause mental, physical, and behavioral disabilities in children
• Children exposed to alcohol while in the womb are more likely to have mental
health problems in the future

13. WHY I CHOSE TO STUDY THE
EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON CHILDREN
• Each drug shares similar attributes to one another
• Although similar, each drug has varying effects on children and parents
• I find it both interesting and important to know and understand the effects that
each drug has the ability to do
• Many people may not realize just how much a drug contributes to a childs
development

14. HOW THIS RELATES TO MY LIFE
• I have known a few people who have had children and smoked or drank during their
pregnancy
• They claim their children are fine as they did not do any hard drugs and there are no
signs of disability in their child
• If I had known what I know now I would have shown them that a cigarette can
potentially be as dangerous as any other "hard drug"

15. WHY THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR
MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE
• After college I plan to go to university to study to become an addictions counsellor
• The knowledge I have about the developmental disabilities through the use of drugs
could help me better understand the reasons that addictions are formed

16. REFERENCES
• ://http://www.mothertobabyca.org/high-times-for-marijuana-clearing-the-smoke-
about-marijuana-use-during-pregnancy/
• http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/illegal-drugs-during-pregnancy/
• Textbook