Alcohol and drug use by pregnant women is harmful to the developing embryo and fetus. The risks to the neonate include intrauterine growth retardation, birth defects, altered neurobehavior, and withdrawal syndromes. Subsequent behavior, development, and neurologic function also may be impaired. This article describes the risks associated with fetal exposure to cigarette smoking, marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, and opiates and briefly reviews some of the methodologic problems of ascertaining individual fetal drug effects.
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Claudia A. Chiriboga (1993) studied this question.
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