What adenosine and
cocaine can do to unborn babies?
Q: Hello,
I am referring to a recent report that claims fetuses are never conscious due to chemicals in the placenta, namely aednosine. I never heard of this chemical before so my understanding of it is very limited.
I am asking for my granddaughter whom I suspect is using cocaine while pregnant. She is in her second trimester. I'm wondering if the child she's carrying could still be conscious from the placental chemicals, or if the effects of cocaine and other stimulants her mother uses could counter those effects and "wake up the child?"
A: Hello,
Here's adenosine definition from science.education.nih.gov: "A neurotransmitter that binds to the adenosine receptor. Adenosine is a by-product of ATP metabolism and is an important regulator of sleep. Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist."
Now, "neurotransmitter" is a chemical that lets a signal pass between neurons. ATP is the most important molecule in the mechanism of providing all cells with energy. The fact that caffeine works the opposite to adenosine way explains in familiar terms what adenosine does for sleep regulation.
When there's less oxygen than the fetus required, the placenta builds more adenosine receptors and releases more of adenosine to somehow correct the situation. However, using cocaine during pregnancy can produce significant lasting changes in the structure and function of the brain of the baby including decreased ability of adenosine to react to the decrease of oxygen supply. Of course, the mechanisms are more complex than that, but I cannot go into them withoiut getting too technical. The bottom line is, cocaine is BAD for the unborn baby!
Tanya Zilberter
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