Cochrane

What is the issue? Tobacco smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of the mother having complications during pregnancy and the baby being born low birthweight. Nicotine and other contents of cigarettes can have harmful effects on the baby’s growth and development. Why is this important? The number of women smoking in pregnancy is decreasing ...

Smoking during pregnancy harms women and infants. Women who continue to smoke during pregnancy generally are poorer and more poorly educated and are more likely to have no partner or have a partner who smokes. Medications to help stop smoking include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion and varenicline. E-cigarettes contain nicotine and are ...

Review question We reviewed the evidence about the effect of psychosocial interventions, such as contingency management (CM) and motivational interviewing based (MIB) techniques vs. usual care for pregnant women in outpatient illicit drug treatment programmes. Background Women who use illicit drugs while pregnant are more likely to give birth early ...

Some women continue to use opiates when they are pregnant, yet heroin readily crosses the placenta. Opiate-dependent women experience a six-fold increase in maternal obstetric complications and give birth to low-weight babies. The newborn may experience narcotic withdrawal (neonatal abstinence syndrome) and have development problems. There is also increased ...

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is common. Yet no safe level of alcohol consumption is known, with no conclusive evidence on any adverse effects on the unborn child with low levels of alcohol. During pregnancy, more than two units per day or more than four units per drinking session may increase the risk of miscarriage, reduce growth, and impair mental ...

Pregnancy can be seen as a window of opportunity where women may seek treatment for their addictions out of concern for their unborn child. Worldwide estimates of alcohol usage report that a large proportion of women continue to drink during their pregnancy. Light alcohol consumption has not been associated with adverse effects on a woman's baby, while ...