Substance Abuse

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has been related to a series of congenital malformations that are described as fetal alcohol sydrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome is characterized by a pattern of serious birth defeats that are associated with use during pregnancy. The birth defects include prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, central nervous system disorders as well as the distinct abnormal craniofacial features. Heavy alcohol drinking has been cited as the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the world (Abel & Sokol, 1987).

The literature reveals that children who are born to a mother who continues to drink during their pregnancy are significantly smaller in birth weight, shorter in height and have a smaller head circumference than children born to mother who stop drinking. A study of French mothers revealed that those who consumed 35 or more drinks a week delivered infants that weighted 202 grams which is about seven ounces less than infants who were born to mothers who consumed six or less drinks a week (Larroque, Kaminski & Lelong, 1993).

The other illicit drug use that has been under investigation is the use of cocaine, also known as crack, during pregnancy. Prenatal cocaine use, as well as heroine abuse, during pregnancy is clearly associated with negative birth outcomes. The use of cocaine and heroine has been associated with low birth weight, premature labor, and fetal distress (Zuckerman, Frank, & Hingson, 1989).