The table below summarises some of the risks associated with drug use during pregnancy:
| Drug | Risks |
|---|---|
| Smoking | Increased risk of miscarriage (increased risk of around 47%) |
| Increased risk of pre-term labour | |
| Increased risk of stillbirth | |
| IUGR | |
| Increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy | |
| Alcohol | Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) |
| • learning difficulties | |
| • characteristic facies: smooth philtrum, thin vermilion, small palpebral fissures, epicanthic folds, microcephaly | |
| • IUGR & postnatal restricted growthBinge drinking is a major risk factor for FAS | |
| Cannabis | Similar to smoking risks due to tobacco content |
| Cocaine | Maternal risks |
| • hypertension in pregnancy including pre-eclampsia | |
| • placental abruptionFetal risk | |
| • prematurity | |
| • neonatal abstinence syndrome | |
| Heroin | Risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome |
The following table includes some of the drugs and medical conditions that may harm a developing fetus:
| Drug/condition | Effect |
|---|---|
| ACE inhibitors | Renal dysgenesis, Craniofacial abnormalities |
| Alcohol | Craniofacial abnormalities |
| Aminoglycosides | Ototoxicity |
| Carbamazepine | Neural tube defects, Craniofacial abnormalities |
| Valproate | Neural tube defects, Craniofacial abnormalities |
| Chloramphenicol | 'Grey baby' syndrome |
| Cocaine | Intrauterine growth retardationPreterm labour |
| Diethylstilbesterol | Vaginal clear cell adenocarcinoma |
| Lithium | Ebstein's anomaly (atrialized right ventricle) |
| Maternal diabetes mellitus | Macrosomia, Neural tube defects, Polyhydramnios, Preterm labour, Caudal regression syndrome |
| Smoking | Preterm labour, Intrauterine growth retardation |
| Tetracyclines | Discoloured teeth |
| Thalidomide | Limb reduction defects |
| Warfarin | Craniofacial abnormalities |
Folic acid is converted to tetrahydrofolate (THF). Green, leafy vegetables are a good source of folic acid.
Functions
Causes of folic acid deficiency:
Consequences of folic acid deficiency:
Prevention of neural tube defects (NTD) during pregnancy: