iVillage logo
Search iVillage
Pregnancy
Parenting
Health
Diet & Fitness
Beauty & Fashion
Relationships
Home & Garden
Food & Drink
Work & Money
Entertainment
Horoscopes
Travel
Pregnancy & Baby 
  |  Pregnancy  |  Concerns  |  Pregnant and took cocaine and alcohol
Advertisement
Topics
Childcare
Baby
Fertility
Pregnancy
Diaries
Twins
Feeding
Tests
Nutrition and fitness
1st Trimester
2nd Trimester
3rd Trimester
Financial/benefits
Complications
Concerns
Labour/delivery
Newborn
Loss
Community
Parenting
Pregnancy galleries
Toddler
pregnancy videos
iVillage shopping

Hot stuff
Calling 18-28 year olds
Food intolerance
Baby development tracker
Guy decoder
Special offers
Competitions
Pregnancy calendar
Work from home
Find your fertile days
Bond with your baby
Shop for your baby
Newsletters
sign up for FREE!




 
Promotions
Cleaning tips
Keep your family safe from germs and bacteria

Pregnant and took cocaine and alcohol

by Dr Howard Lee

question
My last period was on the 17th November. Unfortunately, on my partner’s birthday (12th December) we had a cocaine and drinking binge. I also drank heavily over Christmas. Of course, had I known I was pregnant I would not have been so selfish. I had a miscarriage last May and I am worried sick about the possible damage I have caused to the unborn child, that’s if it is still alive. I have given up all vices, including smoking, etc., but is it too late?

answer
Certainly, your ‘wild night’ of 12 December, and the subsequent days of extra alcohol over the Christmas period, do give rise to some concerns for the developing baby. The most active stages of development are, of course, up to about 12-14 weeks. This is the period of time we are particularly thinking about. On the other hand, developing babies are also pretty resilient. The fact that you have given up all the problem ‘irritants’ is very encouraging – well done.

It is difficult to say that nothing has happened but, quite often, if anything really serious does occur in the early stages of foetal development, nature takes over and rejects the foetus – this is often the cause of early miscarriages. Any early ultrasound tests can also show growth problems, and these will be arranged at the appropriate time. So, for a while, it is a ‘fingers-crossed’ situation, I am afraid. But, with any luck, your baby will continue its growth in a natural environment.

iVillage TV - Pregnancy experts

View video in larger player
Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon