Pregnancy & Substance Use

Hospitals in Tennessee will be required to report babies exposed to drugs prenatally, under a measure that takes effect in 2013.

A new study suggests even moderate drinking in pregnancy can result in lower IQ levels in children.

Mothers’ smoking during pregnancy probably does not lead to substance abuse in their children, as earlier studies suggested, according to researchers at Indiana University.

A new study concludes that exposure to secondhand smoke can harm the developing brain of newborns. Researchers found exposure to active or secondhand smoke affected newborn babies’ ability to inhibit stimuli that can harm the central nervous system.

A new study may help explain why children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of obesity. Researchers found children whose mothers smoked while pregnant have structural changes in their brains that may increase preference for fatty food.

High-potency marijuana, and the synthetic form of the drug, known as “K2” or “Spice,” can harm a developing embryo’s brain, a new study concludes.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can affect a child’s growth up until age 9, a new study finds.

Almost 8 percent of pregnant women report alcohol use, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pregnant women who are being treated for heroin dependence with methadone can be persuaded to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke through monetary incentives, a new study suggests.

Women who smoke during pregnancy raise the risk their baby will develop a severe, potentially life-threatening illness of the bowel if the infant is born prematurely, a new study suggests.

A new government study finds 22 percent of white women have smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy, ABC News reports. In contrast, 14 percent of black women, and 6.5 percent of Hispanic women, have done so.

Every hour, a baby is born in the United States with symptoms of opioid withdrawal, according to a study in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

A new study suggests women who smoke during pregnancy may be more likely to have a child with high-functioning autism. The research did not find a conclusive link between a woman’s smoking and her child’s autism, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

A bill recently introduced in the Senate aims to direct federal resources to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and to provide services for those living with them, and their families.

A new study suggests that young children whose mothers used methamphetamine in pregnancy are at higher risk of behavior problems compared with children whose mothers didn’t use the drug.

A mother’s smoking during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk that her child will develop autism, a new study concludes. Previous studies on the possible connection have produced mixed results.

A new study suggests the most significant alcohol-related damage to fetuses occurs during the seventh through twelfth weeks of pregnancy. However, the researchers emphasized their findings do not indicate it is safe to drink earlier or later in pregnancy.

A prenatal intervention program, for stopping substance use in pregnancy, could save almost $2 billion annually if it were implemented nationwide, a new study suggests.

The increasing number of women addicted to painkillers in Maine has had a particularly unfortunate consequence—a growing number of babies who have been exposed to opioids before birth and experience withdrawal symptoms after being born.

Counseling alone is not enough to help most pregnant women quit smoking, a review of eight studies concludes.

A growing number of babies born in Florida are addicted to prescription drugs. CNN reports that the state recorded 635 such births in the first half of 2010.

New recommendations issued by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecology call for annual alcohol screening for women, and screening in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A review of 101 studies concludes that smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of certain types of severe birth defects, including defects of the heart, face, limbs, feet and eyes.

Florida officials met with health care executives last week to discuss how to protect babies born to women addicted to prescription drugs. An estimated 1,300 babies were treated for drug withdrawal in Florida in 2010, a 30 percent jump from the previous year.

A new assessment tool may allow doctors to evaluate the impact of methamphetamine on babies exposed in the womb. The tool may help identify which babies will go on to develop problems due to exposure to the drug, according to a new study.