women s health issues
Substance Use During Pregnancy
Introduction
Certain substances, includingcaffeine, aspartame, alcohol, and tobacco, may have harmful effects on pregnant women and fetuses. Illicit drugs include amphetamines, bath salts,cocaine, hallucinogens, cannabis, and opioids (for example, heroin or misuse of prescription opioids). Use of illicit drugs (particularly opioids) during pregnancy can cause complications during the pregnancy and serious problems in the developing fetus and the newborn. They may result in birth defects, poor fetal growth, or preterm birth. For pregnant women, injecting illicit drugs increases the risk of infections that can affect or be transmitted to the fetus. These infections include Overview of Hepatitis and 