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Should a Pregnant Woman Be Punished for Exposing Her Fetus to Risk?

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According to Daily News 2010, one hundred babies are born with drug withdrawal symptoms every month. Some drugs can directly impair prenatal development, most of the body organs and systems of the baby-to-be are formed within the first ten weeks or so of pregnancy during this stage. After about the tenth week, the fetus should grow rapidly in weight and size. At this stage, certain drugs may damage organs that are still developing, such as the eyes, as well as the nervous system. Continuing drug use also increases the risk of miscarriage and premature delivery. But the greatest danger drugs pose at this stage is their potential to interfere with normal growth “low-birth weight babies require special care and run a much higher risk of severe health problems or even death”. [1]
Use of illicit drugs like cocaine and opioids during pregnancy can cause complications and serious problems in the developing fetus and the newborn. Growth of fetus is likely to be inadequate and premature birth defects are more common. Cocaine crosses the placenta, constricts the blood vessels reducing blood flow to the fetus. The reduced blood and oxygen supply to the fetus slows the growth of bones and intestine. Use of cocaine can also cause complications during pregnancy. Among women who use cocaine throughout pregnancy, 31% have preterm delivery and 15% have premature detachment of placenta. The chances of miscarriage also increase. Drugs that a pregnant woman takes can affect the fetus in several ways. They can act directly on the fetus causing damage or abnormal development leading to birth defects or death. They can also alter the function of the placenta usually by constricting blood vessels and reducing the blood supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus from the mother and thus resulting in a baby that is underweight and underdeveloped. Moreover they can cause the muscles of the

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