Substance abuse in pregnancy. A bigger problem than you think.

Many people think of crack and heroin addiction when they hear the words "substance abuse," but legal substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, amphetamines, and benzodiazepines, can also be abused. When a pregnant women is the abuser, she is potentially damaging two persons. And, since abusers rarely abuse just one substance, the growing fetus may bear the negative impact of multiple substances. Dr King maintains that many pregnant women would try to reduce their substance use if they understood the potential outcome of their actions, and he calls for physicians to identify and counsel women who need help confronting their problem.