What Do You Know About Drugs and 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.
Most babies of women who smoke weigh the same as babies of women who don't smoke.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
They are more likely to be born early and need special care after birth.
Studies have shown babies of women who smoke are twice as likely as babies of nonsmokers to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The incidence of SIDS is higher in infants exposed to secondhand smoke.
Smoking after your baby is born won't harm the child.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Smoking after your baby is born can increase the child’s risk of developing asthma, chronic ear infections, and other health problems.
It's safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy as long as you don't drink a lot or every day.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Studies have shown that babies of women who drink even moderately—one or two drinks a few times a week—can be born with learning, speech, and attention disorders.
A woman who drinks alcohol while pregnant puts her baby at risk for physical or behavioral problems.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Children with the most serious developmental problems have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Up to three babies in every 1,000 are born with FAS, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI).
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not safe to take while pregnant.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
These medications can interfere with blood clotting, and late in pregnancy may interfere with the production of hormones that stimulate labor, according to the American Council for Drug Education.
Babies born to women who used narcotics while they were pregnant can have withdrawal symptoms.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The babies can also have heart problems; miscarriages also can occur.
Women who inject drugs intravenously while pregnant risk becoming infected with hepatitis B or HIV, which can be passed on to their babies.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
HIV-positive mothers also can pass the virus on to their babies through their breast milk.
Babies born to women who used heroin during pregnancy can have mental and behavioral problems, low-birth weight, and an addiction to the drug.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Other potential problems include shallow breathing and bleeding (hemorrhage) inside the head.
It's safe for a pregnant woman to take tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or amphetamines.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Babies born to mothers who take these medications can have trouble breathing, poor muscle tone, and other developmental problems.
Your score was: