Cocaine abuse in pregnancy (original) (raw)

Review of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics, International Edition

S u m m a r y: Subject of this literature review is the impact of cocaine abuse during pregnancy and its long-term consequences on the fetus. Prenatal exposure to cocaine is associated with withdrawal symptoms in the neonate. Numerous studies have reported an increased risk of cardiac anomalies such as ventricular septal defect, auricular septal defect, heart block, cardiomegaly, hypoplastic right or left side of the heart, absent of ventricle, coarctation of aorta, peripheral pulmonic stenosis, patent ductus arteriosus, aortic dissection and aortic valve prolapse and in addition, maternal cocaine abuse is associated with thickening of the interlobular arterial wall of the fetal kidney and narrowing of the lumen and genitourinary anomalies, neurobehavioral and developmental deficits in infants exposed to cocaine in utero. In humans the most common consequences of cocaine abuse during pregnancy include premature birth, lower birth weight, respiratory distress, bowel infarctions, cerebral infarctions, reduced head circumference, intrauterine developmental retardation, delayed development of fetal nervous system, increased risk for congenital cardiac defects, defects of urogenital tract, . Send reprint requests to: Anna Deltsidou, Kifisias 51, 115 23, Athens, Greece decreased fetal urine output and bladder cycle, and increased risk of seizures.