You may think blogs about drug use in pregnancy aren’t needed. After all, we all know that using street or even many prescription drugs isn’t safe, right? Well, according to a survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 5.5 percent of women reported using illegal drugs during pregnancy.
Cocaine is one of the more commonly used drugs, due to addiction factors and women fearful of admitting the addiction to their health care providers. It is estimated that as many as a hundred thousand babies are exposed to cocaine in utero in the U.S. each year.
The National Institutes of Health recently conducted a study on the effects of cocaine use on the developing brain, specifically neurological and behavioral abnormalities. Researchers found that a substance in cocaine interferes with Cyclin A. When Cyclin A is inhibited, this intereferes with protein production on a cellular level, which inhibits brain development.
The team is currently working with rats to test a drug that was originally designed for stomach acid. This drug also inhibits the enzymes in cocaine that interfere with Cyclin A. The hope is that with further testing, this would be a viable option for women who haven’t been able to kick the addiction during pregnancy.
Cocaine is a difficult drug to quit and many women have thrown their lives and families away due to the addiction. The first treatment should be to attempt to deal with the addiction, but if that doesn’t happen, this treatment may offer hope to the unborn babies. It could prevent the neurological and behavioral abnormalities caused by cocaine exposure in utero.
Of course, for this to work, women must be comfortable telling the doctor they are using cocaine. This takes a lot of courage, but it could mean a normal life for your baby, compared to a life of disability.
Related Articles:
The Effects of Illegal Drugs on the Fetus
Dealing with Drug Addiction in Pregnancy