Drug And Substance Abuse During Pregnancy

The use of heroin, cocaine, and other illicit drugs has become a public health concern especially during pregnancy. Maternal substance abuse has become an issue during the crack epidemic in the 1980’s; however, there is an alarm rate of infants born addicted to heroin. More than 3.7% women have indicated the uses some form of illicit drugs during their pregnancy, as well as 1.9 % reports binge drinking (Bhuvaneswar el at., 2008; Grant el at., 2009). With this in mind, more than 375,000 infants are born to maternal substance abusers each year costing over $100,000 in medical expenses covered by the state (Reitman, 2002).

Substance abuse during pregnancy can have a negative force on the health and wellness of not only the fetus, but that of the mother. The harmful effects of medications, alcohol and illegal drugs on an unborn child can be devastating and can have significant consequences to its use. Sometimes the effects can be faced and treated, and other times the outcome is a lifelong challenge. During the prenatal period, it is important that new mothers are informed of the different types of abuse, how they may affect the fetus, and the adverse conditions their child may be faced with before and after birth.

The use of controlled substances throughout pregnancy is a very prevalent issue among society today. Controlled substances have devastating effects on not only the mothers using the substances, but also infants while they are in utero and after they are born. Many infants born to mothers, who are abusing drugs, suffer from life threatening illnesses and are forever affected through adulthood. Specifically, heroin is a common drug form that is often used during pregnancy and results in the life threatening effects mentioned above.

Through the years, substance misuse in the United States has turned into an industrious issue influencing numerous people. In 2008, it was assessed that 17.8 million Americans beyond 18 years old where substance subordinate. Women who use medications during pregnancy can have an enduring impact on fetal. Medications can have an impact of maternal and child wellbeing, yet there are a lot of different variables, which influence it, poor social environment, nourishment, cleanliness, and sexual abuse. Regenerative interruption connected with heroin utilization has been shown in both and women and even low dosages of opiates can impede ordinary ovarian capacity and ovulation. The harm that goes hand in hand with substance utilization comes either straightforwardly from the impact of the medication itself or from issues identified with development and/or unexpected labor. The entanglements of jumbling components clamorous way of life, poor nourishment, liquor utilization and cigarette smoking influence the appraisal of the impacts of cocaine in pregnancy. In obstetric practice, 100% of pregnant women utilizing cocaine or heroin are cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking is presumably the most well known manifestation of substance utilizes and is noteworthy corresponding considering ladies who use unlawful medications. Babies whose moms smoked in pregnancy have a tendency to have lower conception weights and diminished length, cranial and thoracic

The use of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol exact a steep price from our society. Substance abuse is a factor in many serious ills such as crime. More upsetting, however, is the affects that it has on children born affected from their dependent mothers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 60 percent of women of childbearing age consume alcoholic beverages despite the fact that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is implicated in a wide range of birth defects and developmental disabilities, including mental retardation, physical abnormalities, and visual and auditory impairments. (Nevitt, 1996)

Considering the multitudes of things that could go wrong during a pregnancy, why would mothers consume alcohol despite the warnings of possible birth defects? Many are familiar with the "Just Say No" campaign spearheaded by Nancy Reagan in the 1980 's to prevent drug and alcohol use among teens. However, many turn a blind eye to the warnings of the surgeon general stating alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in birth defects. When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, she puts her fetus at risk from mild to severe physical, mental and cognitive disabilities. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the term that is used to describe an array of disorders that occurs as a consequence of women consuming alcohol during pregnancy. There are many types of FASD including fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol-related birth defects(ARBD), alcohol-related neurodevelopment disorder(ARND), and neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Although alcohol consumption during pregnancy is ill-advised, throughout the United States mothers continue to drink during pregnancy. Being FASD is the most preventable of developmental disabilities, I will examine the irreparable consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and its behavioral, physical, cognitive and educational implications on the fetus and the family.

After reading about various topics regarding drug addiction, it wasn’t easy to narrow down this topic. Drug addiction and pregnancy was the topic found to be most interesting. Estimates based on court documents, news accounts, and data collected by attorneys representing pregnant women indicate that at least 200 women in more than thirty states have been arrested and criminally charged for their alleged drug use or other actions during pregnancy (Moore, 2010). Should pregnant women struggling with drug addiction be criminally prosecuted? This is a

Smoking and drinking not only damages the user’s body, but also causes mental and physical deformities of the fetus. Drinking alcohol and smoking while pregnant leads to brain damage and birth deformities of the newborn child. The chance of miscarriage increase along with the possibility of the baby being born early. A premature birth results in delayed comprehension, behavior problems, and lung deformities. Specifically, drinking while pregnant leads to growth problems and spinal damage to the infant. In the long-term the individual will need countless surgeries, braces, and pain medications. “Some research has shown that expectant moms who have as little as one drink a week are more likely than nondrinkers to have children who later exhibit aggressive and delinquent behavior.

Even though there are many studies that highlight the damaging effects of maternal alcohol use on a fetus in utero, there are a multitude of other substances that are used by pregnant mothers that have similar and even, in some cases, more extreme repercussions such as marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. When speaking about pregnancy and drug use, the most common drug that comes to mind is alcohol. During 12 years of schooling, most people are exposed, at one point or another, to the idea of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the detrimental effects of alcohol on a fetus in utero. The effects of maternal use of the aforementioned illicit drugs is less studied, partially because they are used less frequently. It is important, however, that as a population, we become more educated about these drugs and the potentially life threatening outcomes for babies in utero.

feeding, sleeping, and crying). Aforementioned, to the birth, withdrawal symptoms may reacts due to cocaine and that keep the mother or child in the hospital for further examination. As a matter of fact, the unborn baby will suffer everything because of what their irresponsible mother does while she was pregnant. As newborn they are the one who suffers from mental retardation, irritable, cranky those even just a soft touch they will cry, have heart problems, birth defect, visual and hearing ¬¬¬¬-problems, or even worse death. In addition, sudden infant death syndromes (SIDS) maybe happen even after giving birth as well. (March of Dimes, 2013, para.9-12)

Substance abuse has been a worldwide problem at all levels of society since the beginning of time. Attention has been made toward the use of legal and illegal substance by pregnant women over the past several decades. Almost all drugs are known to cross the placenta and have some effect on the fetus. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) the first studies of the effect of substances consumed by a pregnant women to the developing fetus were identified in the 1960’s of prenatal tobacco use. These studies opened the door to further research and studies. The effects of Alcohol and opiate use have been studied since the 1970’s (Jones, Smith, 1973) and the effects of a variety of other drugs have been studied since 1979 and early 1980’s (Flinnegan, 1979).

“Since 1985 about 250 Women in 30 states have been criminally prosecuted in relation to drug abuse while pregnant.” (Coles, par 16) Since there isn’t a law in place for a woman being convicted for drinking or smoking while pregnant, they dig a little deeper and get more technical. Charges for unlawful child neglect, delivering drugs to a minor, homicide by child abuse and even manslaughter have been given to mothers who abuse drugs or alcohol while pregnant. Some even believe in terminating the woman’s parental rights. Whether or not the child shows signs before birth, they have started to test newborns for drugs and prosecute from there. (NAPW, par 33-35)

In the mid-1980s, national attention on the relationship between drug use and pregnancy came about. Substance abuse during pregnancy is more prevalent than commonly realized. Substance abuse is more common among women

Many women, including teens, abuse drugs while they are pregnant. This rate is especially high to those who are homeless, underprivileged, or live in a broken home. In order for drug abusers to even have a chance at beating their addiction they have to have support whether it’s family, friends, or boyfriend/spouse. They must also let the abuser now all the consequences to themselves and the unborn child. There are many consequences when using drugs during pregnancy such as miscarriage, health risks to baby, and health risks to the mother. And learning disabilities and brain damage to the fetus.

Children can be subjected to the negative effects of parental substance use in a variety of different ways. For example, substance use during pregancy can cause detrimental outcomes for newborn infants by placing them at a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), being born with birth defects, developing behavioral and developmental delays, being born premature, etc. Children with addicted parents, are placed at a higher risk of: lacking appropriate supervision; lacking basic needs such as: food, clothing, housing, and medical care; exposure to violence; developing substance abuse issues themselves.