scotPHO introduction:
  Amenable Mortality
  Deaths
  Healthy Life Expectancy
  Migration
  Population Estimates & Forecasts
  Pregnancy & births
  Key points
  Introduction
Avoidable risk factors during pregnancy
  Policy context
  Data
  Key data sources
  Key references and evidence
  Useful links
  Definitions
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Pregnancy and births: avoidable risk factors during pregnancy

Smoking

It is widely accepted that smoking during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of a variety of problems, including miscarriage, stillbirth, a preterm and/or low birthweight baby, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Data on smoking during pregnancy in Scotland are available:

Alcohol

High alcohol consumption is not recommended during pregnancy. It is associated with miscarriage and can lead to the development of fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome comprises three types of abnormality: growth retardation, characteristic facial features, and central nervous system anomalies (including intellectual impairment). Although this syndrome is rare, there is anxiety that more subtle forms of fetal damage may be much more common.

Drugs

Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2008 includes data on maternities for which drug misuse was recorded, preterm outcomes, age and deprivation level of mother, and neonatal hospital discharges.