Classes of drugs that are known to cross the placenta include opiates, benzodiazepines, ephedrine, local anesthetics, beta blockers, barbiturates, and propofol. Drugs that are known to cross the placenta but are generally considered safe include propofol, ketamine, and fentanyl.
Placental Exchange
Most drugs with MW < 500 Da cross the placenta, and most drugs with MW > 1000 Da do not cross the placenta (ex. heparin, protamine, insulin).
Insulin is the preferred pharmacological treatment in pregnancy because it is unable to cross the placenta due to its large molecular weight (6000 Da).
Most drugs of abuse easily cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development. In utero exposures to drugs thus can have long-lasting implications for brain structure and function.
Medicine, drugs, alcohol and nicotine can all transfer from your bloodstream to your baby through the placenta. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications (including vitamins and supplements) during pregnancy.
Almost all drugs will eventually cross the placenta to reach the fetus.
What if I took drugs before I knew I was pregnant? If you took a drug without realising you were pregnant on a one-off occasion, try not to worry – it's unlikely to have affected your baby. But if illegal drugs are part of your life, getting help can really improve the outlook for you and your baby.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy
The alcohol passes from your bloodstream through your placenta into your baby's bloodstream. Your placenta is not a filter. Your unborn baby doesn't have a developed liver to process alcohol.
The immunoglobulin, which cannot pass through placenta and such foetus is IgM.
Umbilical cord testing has a detection period of the last half of pregnancy or 4.5 months before birth. Umbilical cord testing cannot determine when the drug(s) or alcohol was used, exact amounts used or how often it was used.
Studies have shown that drugs administered during labor and delivery may be detected in meconium or umbilical cord tissue. Additionally, drugs administered to the newborn after birth may be detected in meconium if the specimen is collected after drug administration.
No amount of alcohol has been proven safe at any time during pregnancy. There's no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause problems for your baby any time during pregnancy, even before you know that you're pregnant. You may be pregnant and not know for 4 to 6 weeks.
Many pregnant women indulge in an occasional—or even regular—glass of wine and then worry that it might put their baby at a mental disadvantage. A new study of more than 1,600 Danish five-year-old children shows that these nonteetotaler moms can breathe a sigh of relief.
Some women will feel comfortable drinking occasionally—and they should feel reassured that there is no evidence that drinking moderately poses any risk of adverse outcome.
You probably won't know you are pregnant for up to 4 to 6 weeks. This means you might be exposing your baby to alcohol without meaning to. Alcohol use during pregnancy can also lead to miscarriage and stillbirth. The best advice is to avoid any alcohol use when you start trying to get pregnant.
Using electronic cigarettes (vaping) during pregnancy isn't safe. Most electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) contain nicotine, which permanently damages a baby's developing brain and many other organs. E-cigarette liquids also contain chemicals, flavors and other additives that might not be safe for your baby.
Although the aerosol of e-cigarettes generally has fewer harmful substances than cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes and other products containing nicotine are not safe to use during pregnancy. Nicotine is a health danger for pregnant women and developing babies and can damage a developing baby's brain and lungs.
Illegal drugs and pregnancy
Substances with some known effects include: Methamphetamines and amphetamines – increased risk of low birth weight, birth defects, premature birth. Cannabis – increased risk of growth restriction sleep problems, behavioural problems later in life.
What can I take for pain? Medicine: o Take ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) 800 mg every 8 hours as needed for pain. Take this with food to avoid an upset stomach. o Your provider may have given you acetaminophen (Tylenol) with codeine or hydrocodone: follow the direction on the label.
Certain uterine conditions or weak cervical tissues (incompetent cervix) might increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers. Heavy alcohol use and illicit drug use also increase the risk of miscarriage.
Placental drug-metabolizing enzymes
The placenta expresses a variety of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes from the earlier stages of pregnancy. However, compared to the liver, placental drug metabolism seems to be relatively minor and does not significantly limit the extent of drug delivery to the fetus.
Yes. The Food Standards Agency recommends that pregnant women shouldn't take more than 200mg of caffeine a day.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg (about two, six-ounce cups) per day.
Get Help! If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant and cannot stop drinking, get help! Contact your healthcare provider, local Alcoholics Anonymous, or local alcohol treatment center. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a treatment facility locator.