Prescription opioids are actually painkillers. Your doctor can prescribe them if you have been injured or had a surgery. Some of the prescription opioids are Codeine and hydrocodone. Another opiod is heroin. If you use opioids during pregnancy, then you can cause damage to the unborn baby. A premature birth, or even a stillbirth can happen in this situation. There is more a lot more research needed to establish the causal connection between opioids and birth defects.

Read more: Opioids and birth defects–an update