Methamphetamine 279neck while taking away the normal sensation of pain that would warn a per-
son to seek medical help.
Cancer.Not enough scientific information to report.
Pregnancy.Pregnant methamphetamine abusers tend to produce full-term
babies having characteristics of premature infants. While such a problem mer-
its attention, a California study of 563,573 women who gave birth in 1992
helped put a perspective on the situation: Only 774 used methamphetamine
during their pregnancies. Pooling results from seven California hospitals pro-
vided still another perspective. Among one group of mothers in 1996 and
1997, 0.5% had positive drug tests for methamphetamine during pregnancy,
and those women typically used other drugs as well. And that percentage is
not from the total population of pregnant women but only from those whose
infants required assistance in breathing, a group where drug abuse was more
prevalent.
Animal studies involving many times the normal human medical dose have
produced birth defects. Confirming fetal harm from methamphetamine in hu-
mans is difficult because of other drugs the women use (particularly alcohol),
nutrition, amount of prenatal care, and other factors that simultaneously affect
fetal development. Methamphetamine accumulates in the fetus where blood
level can be two and even six times higher than elsewhere in the woman’s
body. One study measuring pregnancy outcome where umbilical blood
showed misuse only of methamphetamine found the infants to be normal.
Additional scientific information may be found in:
Anglin, M.D., et al. “History of the Methamphetamine Problem.”Journal of Psychoactive
Drugs32 (2000): 137–41.
Beebe, D.K., and E. Walley. “Smokable Methamphetamine (‘Ice’): An Old Drug in a
Different Form.”American Family Physician51 (1995): 449–53.
Boe, N.M., et al. “Methamphetamine Use during Pregnancy Increases the Risk of Ad-
verse Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes.”American Journal of Obstetrics and Gy-
necology180 (January 1999, pt. 2): S71.
Lan, K.C., et al. “Clinical Manifestations and Prognostic Features of Acute Metham-
phetamine Intoxication.”Journal of the Formosan Medical Association97 (1998):
528–33.
Logan, B.K. “Methamphetamine and Driving Impairment.”Journal of Forensic Sciences
41 (1996): 457–64.
Mayfield, D.G. “Effects of Intravenous Methamphetamine.”International Journal of the
Addictions8 (1973): 565–68.
Mendelson, J., et al. “Methamphetamine and Ethanol Interactions in Humans.”Clinical
Pharmacology and Therapeutics57 (1995): 559–68.
Simon, S.L., et al. “Cognitive Impairment in Individuals Currently Using Metham-
phetamine.”American Journal on Addictions9 (2000): 222–31.