Research Topic

 My research topic is the effects of drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy. I chose this topic because it is interesting but not something society pays much attention to. The following are questions to help begin my research:
How does substance abuse affect the embryo or fetus mentally and physically?
What kinds of chemicals and/or viruses reach the embryo or fetus while the pregnant woman is taking alcohol or other drugs?
Does drug and alcohol abuse affect the embryo or fetus more than the woman? If so why?
How many reported cases are there of pregnant women using drugs or alcohol in the U.S.?
Does drug and alcohol abuse affect pregnancy only during the early stages or throughout the whole pregnancy?
How does the embryo or fetus react to the drugs and/or alcohol consumed?
Is there a way to possibly avoid the drugs and/or alcohol consumed from reaching the embryo or fetus?
 I think the most useful questions for my topic are those that involve looking at more than one resource to find the answer. Also that the answers to my questions are more than a sentence long. For that reason the how and why questions are the most useful.
 My topic is important because pregnant women should be aware of the harm they can cause their babies and themselves if they use drugs and/or alcohol. They may be putting their pregnancy at risk or cause their fetus to be born with defects.