Pregnancy is a period when a fetus is developing in a woman’s uterus. This lasts about forty weeks. Different parts of the fetus develop at specific times and are considered critical during pregnancy. During this time, the body is sensitive to varying exposures to alcohol, medications, health conditions, and various substances. Because of this, the mother should be careful to avoid harmful exposures that could cause birth defects or worse. There are three trimesters in a pregnancy. Comparably, there are three stages of fetal development, which are germinal, embryonic, and fetal. The germinal stage is when the sperm and the egg are joined in the fallopian tube. The embryonic stage is from weeks three to eight, where the neural tube, eyes, head, limbs, and mouth are formed. The fetal stage lasts from week nine until birth. During this stage, the embryo turns into a fetus. There are many substances that, when used, cross the placenta and hinder the development of the fetal brain. Drug addictions that go untreated coincide with poor prenatal care and nutrition, which can increase the risk of complications with the pregnancy. Illicit drugs include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, inhalants, hallucinogens, or opioids. Alcohol and nicotine, which are legal, also affect the development of the fetus. Drugs, legal or not, harm the development of the fetus for years beyond birth. Some symptoms of this abuse are delayed responses, trembling, cognitive deficits, decreased short-term memory, decreased verbal and visual skills, attention deficits, and long-lasting alterations in sensory abilities.
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Pregnancy is a period when a fetus is developing in a woman’s uterus. This lasts about forty weeks. Different parts of the fetus develop at specific times and are considered critical during pregnancy. During this time, the body is sensitive to varying exposures to alcohol, medications, health conditions, and various substances. Because of this, the mother should be careful to avoid harmful exposures that could cause birth defects or worse. There are three trimesters in a pregnancy. Comparably, there are three stages of fetal development, which are germinal, embryonic, and fetal. The germinal stage is when the sperm and the egg are joined in the fallopian tube. The embryonic stage is from weeks three to eight, where the neural tube, eyes, head, limbs, and mouth are formed. The fetal stage lasts from week nine until birth. During this stage, the embryo turns into a fetus. There are many substances that, when used, cross the placenta and hinder the development of the fetal brain. Drug addictions that go untreated coincide with poor prenatal care and nutrition, which can increase the risk of complications with the pregnancy. Illicit drugs include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, inhalants, hallucinogens, or opioids. Alcohol and nicotine, which are legal, also affect the development of the fetus. Drugs, legal or not, harm the development of the fetus for years beyond birth. Some symptoms of this abuse are delayed responses, trembling, cognitive deficits, decreased short-term memory, decreased verbal and visual skills, attention deficits, and long-lasting alterations in sensory abilities.