Although different drugs have different prenatal effects, most have some similar effects when they are used during pregnancy, including low birth weight, mental retardation, and physical deformities. Only a few prevention and treatment efforts have focused specifically on pregnant alcoholic and other drug-dependent women due to tremendous fears among service providers about liability problems associated with treating pregnant, addicted women. There is also a great need for additional training of treatment providers about how to proceed with safe detoxification and treatment. To date, much of the reaction to treating pregnant alcoholic and other drug-dependent women has been guided by fear, lack of knowledge, and lack of experience. The sad irony is that pregnancy offers an opportunity to intervene and provide treatment; yet it is at this very time that the least amount of treatment is available. Policy recommendations addressing the needs of women of child-bearing age and their children include appropriation of funds to support the Model Projects for Pregnant and Post-partum Women and their Infants, coordination of available health and social service resources, and provision of an adequate number of residential and outpatient treatment programs with comprehensive childcare components.