Prenatal Exposure to Drugs and Alcohol Can Cause Lasting Damage

By Hugh C. McBride

For decades, health experts have advised that pregnant women who use tobacco, alcohol, and a wide range of other legal and illegal substances are putting their children at risk. 

Because many pregnant women who abuse substances do not limit their abuse to one drug, it has been difficult to discern the direct relationship between individual substances and developmental disabilities. However, in the past 10 years, researchers have developed a much clearer understanding of the risks that can result from prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol.  

NIDA Explores Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs and Alcohol

In November 1998, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) issued a NIDA Notes document that discussed the effect of prenatal exposure to drugs on learning capacity and behavior later in life.

"The evidence that prenatal exposure to drugs may contribute to later behavioral and learning problems has important public health implications," Dr. Alan I. Leshner, then the NIDA director, said in the document. "Although these effects are subtle and may not be universal, the rising tide of data from ongoing studies indicates that we need to be alert to the fact that children who have been exposed to drugs before birth may need special attention."

The November 1998 NIDA Notes, which was written by Robert Mathias, reported the following findings of investigations into the link between prenatal exposure to drugs and developmental problems in childhood:

A significantly greater number of 4-month-old cocaine-exposed infants had negative emotional reactions than did non-exposed infants when play with their mothers was interrupted. These infants also responded more strongly to the stress of inoculation and took longer to calm down than non-exposed infants

Further analyses of the children at 2 years of age showed that, compared to non-exposed children, they were less able to control impulses and delay gratification and showed more frustration by kicking and screaming when restrained momentarily by their mothers.

The difficulty that some drug-exposed infants have in achieving a quiet, alert state may also affect their intellectual development because it can affect their ability to respond to new stimuli, focus and sustain attention, and process information.

Prenatal Drug Exposure and Brain Damage

In the April 2008 edition of the journal Pediatrics, researchers with Children's Hospital Boston published the results of a brain-imaging study that associated prenatal exposure to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco to brain structure abnormalities that continued into early adolescence. An April 8, 2008 article on the medical news website ScienceDaily provided the following details from the Children's Hospital Boston study of prenatal exposure to drugs:

Researchers at Children's and Boston Medical Center employed volumetric MRI imaging to study the brain structure of 35 young adolescents [average age: 12] who had been prenatally exposed to cocaine, marijuana, alcohol or tobacco. ... Prenatal exposures were confirmed by a combination of maternal history, urine testing of the mother or urine or meconium (stool) testing of the infants at birth.

"We found that reductions in cortical gray matter and total brain volumes were associated with prenatal exposure to cocaine, alcohol or cigarettes," says Rivkin, who is first author on the study. ... Notably, the effects were found to be additive – the more substances a child was exposed to in utero, the greater the reduction in brain volume.

Prenatal Drug Exposure and Sleep Problems

On June 10, 2008, ScienceDaily reported that a research team led by Kristen Stone, PhD, of Brown University linked prenatal drug exposure with sleep problems in childhood and later in life. Highlights of the Brown University study included the following:

Dr. Stone's team investigated reports of 139 mothers regarding the sleep of their children (who ranged in age from 18 months to 9 years).

Twenty-three of the children in the study had no prenatal drug exposure, 55 were exposed to cocaine alone or in combination with other drugs, and 61 were exposed to drugs other than cocaine.

According to the results, children with prenatal drug exposure (including exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opiates, or some combination of these) had more significant sleeping than did children who had not experienced prenatal drug exposure. Sleep problems in early childhood were found to be predictive of similar problems later in life.

Avoiding the Risk of Prenatal Drug Exposure

The only way to ensure that a child does not suffer from prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs is for the mother to remain drug-free during pregnancy. Women who are planning to become pregnant, or who suspect that they already are, should consult with a qualified healthcare provider and avoid alcohol and other drugs.

Women who have a history of alcohol abuse or drug addiction may find that enrolling in a residential rehab facility for women such as The Rose of Newport Beach can offer the best opportunity for getting clean and pursuing a healthy, drug-free life.

Depending upon the nature and severity of their drug addiction, pregnant women may need intensive treatment in order to protect their health and that of their unborn child. In Chester County, Pennsylvania, Bowling Green Brandywine offers specialized treatment services for opiate-addicted pregnant women.

For younger women who become pregnant before they are able to overcome their substance abuse problems, or who are struggling with a behavior disorder, learning disability, or other mental health issue, a residential program for pregnant teens such as the one offered by Youth Care, Inc., can provide the professional guidance and comprehensive support that will enable both mother and child to pursue healthy and happy lives.