Pregnancy and Substance Use
Smoking in pregnancy |
What can you do to protect yourself and your baby?Make your home and car smoke-free. Ask others to go outside and not to smoke around you or your children. Living in a smoke-free home lowers your children’s risk of breathing problems and ear and lung infections. What if you are pregnant and smoke?Try to quit or cut down your smoking. If you are thinking about quitting smoking, remember:
Benefits for the mother include:
Benefits for your baby include:
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- Martha, a local KFL&A area #QuitStories participant is sharing her quit smoking story with our community. She remembered moments during her quitting smoking journey, thinking about having a family in the future, and how she knew she had to quit to become healthy enough for her babies. Read Martha’s full quit story.
Alcohol use in pregnancy |
When pregnant or planning a pregnancy, it is best to avoid alcohol.Alcohol can enter the bloodstream and impact the health of your baby. The effects of alcohol on your baby varies depending on:
Sometimes it is very difficult to change your drinking habits, even if you really want to. It is never too late to reduce the risks for your baby. If you consumed alcohol during your pregnancy, or if you are having trouble reducing your use, help is available. Talk to your health care provider Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)The greatest concern with consuming alcohol during pregnancy is your baby developing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a term which describes a group of conditions, that vary from mild to severe, resulting from alcohol consumption during pregnancy, including:
FASD is the leading known cause of preventable developmental disability in Canada. How much alcohol does it take to cause FASD?No one knows how much alcohol it takes to cause FASD. No amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. What type of alcohol should I avoid?All types of alcohol should be avoided. There are no safe types of alcohol to consume while pregnant. Are there times during pregnancy when it is okay to have alcohol?There is no known time during pregnancy when it is safe to drink alcohol. Can FASD be cured?FASD cannot be cured. People live with FASD for their entire life. However, people with FASD can do well with helpful supports and services. Some examples include special education, vocational programs, structured environments, and lifelong support. Alcohol and pregnancy resources:
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Cannabis use in pregnancy |
Is it safe to use cannabis during pregnancy?Avoiding cannabis during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is the safest option for the developing baby. There are over 400 chemicals in cannabis some of which may be harmful to a developing fetus. THC, which is the main active ingredient in cannabis, crosses the placenta into fetal tissue and can accumulate in breast milk. Cannabis in all forms (smoked, vaped, eaten, topical creams, or pills) may impact the developing baby and may result in learning and behavioral issues and increase risk of complications during pregnancy including:
What about using cannabis to treat morning sickness?Due to the potential harm of using cannabis during pregnancy, women should not self-medicate with cannabis to treat morning sickness, but instead talk to their health care provider about safer alternatives such as:
Cannabis during pregnancy resources:
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Other substance use in pregnancy |
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Many prescription and over-the-counter medications, topical creams, inhalers, high doses of vitamins, alcohol, nicotine, unregulated drugs, and even herbal products can cross the placenta and pass into your baby's bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream these products and substances can impact the health of your baby. Speak with your health care provider before taking any substance including prescription or non-prescription medication, herbal remedy and unregulated drugs. Is it safe to take medication during pregnancy?It is best not to take any medication during pregnancy unless you and your health care provider determine it is necessary. Always talk to your health care provider because the risk from not taking the medication may be higher than the potential risk of taking the medication. If you were taking a prescription medication for a medical condition before you became pregnant, speak to your health care provider right away about the safety of the medication. Are natural herbal products safe to take during pregnancy?It is common to think natural herbal products are safer than other options, but many of these products have not been clinically tested to evaluate their safety and effectiveness during pregnancy. Always check with your health care provider before taking any kind of herbal product. What about consuming unregulated drugs during pregnancy?Unregulated drugs always carry health risks since they contain unknown amounts of the drug, harmful fillers, or other contaminants. Speak to your healthcare provider about harm reduction strategies while pregnant. It is never too late to reduce your use to support your substance use health and that of your baby. Drug use during pregnancy resources:
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