Can Behaviors Of Toddlers Be Affected By Prenatal Drug Use

During pregnancy, some women may overuse substances like cocaine, nicotine, cannabis and alcohol. When pregnant women are exposed to these medicines, they are at risk of having physiological and psychological developmental delays which may cause behavioral problems in toddlers. Prenatal drug use can negatively influence toddlers through their evident behaviors that include poor social skills, physiological aggression, low emotional expression and hyperactivity.

Some pregnant women who used to misuse substances before they got pregnant continue to use the substances during pregnancy. Medicines can impact users but in the case of expectant women, the baby inside their womb can also be affected.

Nicotine

Expecting mothers who smoke are at risk of having restricted amount oxygen that their fetus require. This can possibly lead to the retardation of the baby’s psychological and physiological development. This can also lead to social, cognitive and behavioral issues in toddlers because their thought patterns and brains are likely to be at an early developmental phase. These developmental delays may result in behavioral issues like biting and hitting others.

Cocaine

Moms who used cocaine while pregnant may have toddlers who may not be able to express their feelings. Prenatal cocaine exposure can impact male and female toddlers differently. While female toddlers can be hyperactive, female toddlers can be aggressive.

Cannabis

Just like nicotine, cannabis is often smoked by pregnant women limiting the supply of oxygen to the fetus. Smoking cannabis during pregnancy can also cause developmental delays among toddlers and affect their behavior. Furthermore, as these pregnant women smoke cannabis, they are exposed to THC, the major active substance in the substance which can cause less emotional response and attention in toddlers.

Alcohol

According to national alcohol dependency groups, ingesting alcohol while pregnant is likely to lead to fetal alcohol syndrome in toddlers. When they have this disorder, they can be hyperactive, outgoing, unaware of interpersonal problems, intrusive and very talkative. Because of this, they may have problems in making friends, ending up in isolation and feeling desperate for attention. With this, toddlers tend to seek out attention from other individuals they don’t know which will make them vulnerable to victimization and manipulation.

Depending on the kind of substances a pregnant woman abuses which also include Vyvanse abuse, the effects of the substance to the baby vary. But it is crucial for pregnant ladies to consider that there’s a life inside them which requires them to take care of their body. What mother’s drink or eat can also be taken by their baby.