ILLICIT DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE FETUS: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The use of drugs during pregnancy brings multifactorial consequences and systemic complications for mother and fetus, the passage of psychoactive substances into the bloodstream can cause irreversible damage to both. This fact has an important relevance to be discussed because there is an increase in drug use during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to understand which illicit drugs are used during pregnancy and the consequences for the fetus. Conducted a search for scientific articles in August 2021 in PubMed, BVS, Medline and Scielo platforms with the Health Science Descriptors: “Illicit Drugs” AND “Pregnancy” in Portuguese and English. It selected 21 scientific articles after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main drugs used were: cannabis, cocaine, crack and amphetamine. The main consequences for the fetus were low birth weight, cognitive deficits, prematurity, longer hospital stays among newborns, congenital malformations and neonatal abstinence syndrome. The use of these substances can be avoided during pré-natal care through a multidisciplinary team capable of identifying the vulnerabilities of the environment and the factors that lead pregnant women to consumption. The multidisciplinary team must carry out health education to improve access to prenatal care in order to minimize risks.