How will drugs and alcohol affect my baby?

I’ve just found out I'm eight weeks pregnant. Trouble is, I’ve been drinking, doing coke and smoking cigarettes the whole time. If I continue the pregnancy will the baby suffer any defects, or have brain damage?

First of all, try not to worry. Your situation is not unusual, many women often carry on with their normal life before they find out they’re pregnant – especially if they’re not actually trying to get pregnant. Once they find out it scares them to think that they may have put the baby’s health at risk.

Drinking and doing drugs during pregnancy is unhealthy for the mother and baby, but if you have decided to stop then you’ll increase the chances of a healthy child. The effect that the drug use has on the baby depends on the amount of drugs used and how often you took them.

The best thing for you to do is to talk to your GP about your concerns and your options. If you do not feel up to having a face-to-face chat with anyone, Brook offer free and confidential information via their digital tool, Ask Brook.

If you’re concerned about your drug use talk to Frank on 0300 123 6600 for confidential advice and information.

Answered by Addaction on 05-Jun-2014

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