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What Do You Know About Taking Drugs and Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy?

Smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs can have serious consequences for a pregnant woman and her baby. Knowing what these dangers are, and how to avoid them, can help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby. To assess how much you know about using drugs during pregnancy, try your hand at this quiz.

Pregnant women who smoke are less likely to have miscarriages and deliver low birthweight infants.
Studies have shown that infants of women who smoke have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and of developing asthma.
Smoking after your baby is born won't harm the child.
It's safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy as long as you don't drink a lot or every day.
A woman who drinks alcohol while pregnant puts her baby at risk for physical or behavioral problems.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are not safe to take while pregnant.
Babies born to women who used narcotics while they were pregnant can have withdrawal symptoms.
Women who inject drugs intravenously while pregnant risk becoming infected with hepatitis B or HIV, which can be passed on to their babies.
Babies born to women who used heroin during pregnancy can have mental and behavioral problems, low-birth weight, and an addiction to the drug.
It's safe for a pregnant woman to take tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or amphetamines.
Publication Source: Vitality Drug Free Workplace/1999
Publication Source: "Committee Opinion, Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy." American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Publication Source: "Pregnancy and Alcohol Use: Evidence and Recommendations." Bailey, Beth A. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2008, vol 51, no. 2, pp 436-44.
Publication Source: "The effects of drug abuse on pregnancy." Current Opinions in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Kuczkowski, K. Dec. 2007, vol. 19, pp. 578-585.
Author: Floria, Barbara
Online Source: InfoFacts - Pregnancy and Drug Use Trends http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts
Online Source: National institute on Drug Abuse http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/tobacco.html
Online Source: National institute on Drug Abuse http://www.drugabuse.gov/consequences/prenatal/
Online Source: NIH http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancyandsubstanceabuse.html
Online Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/DrinkingPregnancy_HTML/pregnancy.htm
Online Source: March of Dimes http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1169.asp
Online Source: American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp170.cfm
Online Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/Features/PregnantDontSmoke/
Online Source: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/fact_sheets/smoking.htm
Online Source: American Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/health-effects/smoking.html
Online Editor: Sinovic, Dianna
Online Medical Reviewer: Daphne Pierce-Smith, RN, MSN, FNP, CCRC
Online Medical Reviewer: Reviewed by the StayWell Clinical Content Team
Online Medical Reviewer: Susan Shaw, MD
Date Last Reviewed: 3/10/2010
Date Last Modified: 6/28/2005