Amphetamine Exposure

One-and-a-half percent of Americans use amphetamines. Multiple drug use is high in those who use amphetamines.

An infant exposed to amphetamines is at greater risk for:

• Decreased birth weight, head circumference, and length

• Significant complications related to blood loss from placental abruption

• Possible central nervous system or heart abnormalities

   

Withdrawal from amphetamines, which may cause:

• Abnormal sleep patterns, poor feeding, tremors, abnormal weight gain, and state dysregulation

• Agitation, vomiting, and profuse sweating

• Frantic fist sucking, high-pitched crying, loose stools, fevers, yawning, and increased reflexes.

   

Cocaine Exposure

An infant exposed to cocaine is at greater risk for:

Multiple deformities, which may include:

• Genitourinary tract, cranial, or heart defects

• Bowel atresia

• Upper limb defects

• Prune belly syndrome

• Ambiguous genitalia

• Low birth weight, head circumference, and length

• Meconium aspiration syndrome

• Persistent pulmonary hypertension

• Strokes, intracranial hemorrhage, and infarcts due to precipitous delivery

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

 

Withdrawal from cocaine, which may cause:

• Central nervous system (CNS) irritability including restlessness, irritability, tremors, and increased tone

• Sleepiness and sluggishness, which may follow CNS irritability

• Behavioral symptoms, which may include trouble responding to human faces or voices, alternating periods of sleep and agitation, overstimulation, difficulty being consoled, exaggerated startle response, or rapid state changes(for example, when the infant goes from a quiet alert state to crying or crying excessively to sleep)

• Neuromotor problems such as high or low muscle tone, abnormal movements, or abnormal suck-swallow patterns

 

Marijuana Exposure

This is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy. Overall use by expecting mothers in the U.S. population is between 4.8 percent and 5.4 percent.

Limited inconclusive studies have been done in this population, but some findings suggest an infant exposed to marijuana is at greater risk for:

Withdrawal from marijuana, which may include:

• Tremors

• High-pitched crying

• Abnormal sleep patterns

• Prolonged startle reflex