Impact of drug abuse during pregnancy on the neuropsychomotor development

The neuropsychomotor development involves the formation of language, cognition, motor skills, and social abilities. This process can be influenced by various factors, such as the use of drugs during pregnancy. This study aims to ascertain the alterations in the neuropsychomotor development of newborns born to women who used legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, and/or illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and crack during pregnancy. This literature review was conducted by searching for articles published in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French in the PubMed and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases, published and indexed in the last 10 years. Based on the selected articles, they were categorized for analysis according to drug exposure to the fetus during gestation: (1) alcohol; (2) tobacco; (3) cocaine and crack; (4) marijuana. Complex alterations were found in the neuropsychomotor development of newborns, with long-term consequences, thus necessitating better screening, monitoring, and support for pregnant women, prioritizing complete abstinence from these substances and avoiding such outcomes.