Pregnancy: Medication Effects on Mother and Child

Discussion 1: Pregnancy: Medication Effects on Mother and Child

Licit and illicit medications have effects on both a mother and fetus. Sometimes these effects are short term for the mother (e.g., a drinking bout leads to acute intoxication) but long term for the fetus (e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome). Such differences in effects lead to heated debate about the legal and societal implications of drug and alcohol use during pregnancy. This debate includes addiction (as well as use of prescription medications) for mental illness treatment, since there are effects of these medications on mother and fetus.

For this Discussion, review the Learning Resources and research scholarly literature. Select an illicit or licit drug that may be used in pregnancy.

Post by Day 4 an explanation of how the drug affects the mother and fetus differently. Analyze how the drug affects fetal outcome. What are the immediate effects at birth, and what are the long-term effects on the child over his or her lifetime (e.g., physical, cognitive, etc.)?