NACC outcomes to Pregnancy 

Nicotine:

Nicotine dependence is a major factor in most women’s/teens’ smoking habits, and nicotine’s highly addictive nature makes quitting smoking difficult. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a commonly used smoking cessation treatment that is regarded to be effective for pregnant young women who are highly addicted to cigarettes and have been unable to quit using other techniques. However, in pregnant women who smoke or use NRT, nicotine penetrates the placenta, accumulates in fetal blood and amniotic fluid, and is detectable in breast milk during lactation. During the first week of life, babies of smoking mothers who are exclusively breast-fed have significantly higher urinary cotinine levels than those who are exclusively bottle-fed. The risks of continuing to smoke to the fetus outweigh any potential harmful effects of NRT, as stated by researchers. NRT is also considered to be a safer option to smoking during pregnancy because the mother and fetus are only exposed to one chemical rather than the thousands of chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

Alcohol:

Prenatal alcohol exposure causes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, and alcohol-related birth abnormalities, which are all part of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Growth retardation, facial dysmorphology, central nervous system dysfunction, and neurobehavioral impairments are all symptoms of being exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. The first stage in the diagnosis is to measure prenatal alcohol exposure, which includes the amount of alcohol drank each occasion, frequency of use, and timing of consumption during pregnancy. At least one of the following findings of alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been documented: (1) six or more drinks per week for at least two weeks while pregnant; (2) three or more drinks per occasion for at least two weeks while pregnant; (3) alcohol-related social or legal issues while pregnant; (4) pregnancy intoxication as evidenced by blood, breath, or urinary alcohol testing; and (5) positive test for alcohol exposure biomarkers during pregnancy.

Cannabis:

According to researchers, approximately 9.7% of women who said they had used cannabis before pregnancy said they had used it during pregnancy, while 22.3 percent of women who said they had used cannabis frequently before pregnancy said they had used it throughout pregnancy. Cannabis use during pregnancy to issues in birth weight/length and NICU admission. The findings of the study back up previous research that suggests that cannabis consumption during pregnancy can lead to lower birth weight, a higher rate of early birth, and shorter birth length. In this large sample of women, the prevalence of cannabis use before pregnancy was high, but only a small percentage of women continued to use cannabis during pregnancy. Policymakers are interested in the link between self-reported cannabis use by pregnant women and poor birth outcomes. If we assume that there is a causal relationship between exposure and outcome, then pregnant women who do not consume cannabis throughout pregnancy may avoid 2.5 percent of low birth weight, 1.5 percent of preterm delivery, and 2.7 percent of NICU admissions. Additionally, the use of cannabis during pregnancy also leads to increased anxiety and increased hyperactivity in childhood.

Caffeine:

Caffeine consumption during pregnancy in humans can lead to pregnancy complications such miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, and low birth weight, which can lead to childhood obesity and cognitive impairment. As a result, current research indicates that maternal caffeine intake impairs not only embryo implantation but also continuous midterm fetal growth and development, resulting in pregnancy loss, low birth weight, and delayed brain function in offspring. Additionally, caffeine use during pregnancy not only has negative impacts on pregnancy outcomes, but it also has long-term consequences on the fetus’ development and causes adult disorders, supporting the hypothesis of developmental origins of health and disease. Prenatal caffeine consumption dramatically increases the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in humans, according to research.

• Sources:

• Bruin, Jennifer E., Hertzel C. Gerstein, and Alison C. Holloway. “Long-term consequences of fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure: a critical review.” Toxicological sciences116.2 (2010): 364-374.
• Denny, LeeAnne, et al. “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.” American Family Physician, 15 Oct. 2017, https://www.aafp.org/afp/2017/1015/p515.html.
• Hayatbakhsh, Mohammad R., et al. “Birth Outcomes Associated with Cannabis Use before and during Pregnancy.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 21 Dec. 2011, https://www.nature.com/articles/pr201125. 
• Qian, Jingjing, et al. “Impacts of Caffeine during Pregnancy.” Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7035149/.