Either way, it causes brain damage. If the pregnant woman suffers a stroke, the blood and oxygen supply to the placenta may be interrupted, Grefe explained. Methamphetamine or cocaine can cross the placenta and produce a stroke in the fetus developing a brain. Such a stroke early in pregnancy would probably cause a miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, the baby might survive with serious health problems.
Cocaine also can induce premature labor.
It may be difficult to sort out what drug caused problems for a baby because addicts often are abusing more than one drug. Sometimes problems stemming from cocaine or methamphetamine abuse don't show up until the baby isn't developing normally. I don't think we have any idea how much drug exposure it would take to produce symptoms. Some children with exposure will have no problems. A host of problems have been associated with the drugs, Grefe said.