The Effects Of Substance Abuse On Pregnant Women Essay

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).

For me nursing was not something that I initially intended to do as a career. During elementary school and into high school I contemplated many different career paths such as cosmetology, teaching, psychology, and forensics. It was not till the later years of high school that I started to notice my desire to help other individuals and love of science, health, and different disease processes. My desire to help people has originated from the admiration of my grandfather’s

I want to do when I finish school. My mother always told me that I would be a babysitter, because I like to take care of kids. On the other hand, I thought that I wanted to be a teacher However, being a student for twelve long years I noticed how children behaved in school. In my mind, I knew that wasn’t the future job for me. When I was in the third grade, my grandmother had a stroke. Since she had gotten sick, I had to take care of her .This is what persuaded me to become a Registered Nurse.

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.

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 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.

My love for nursing began early in my life; in high school, my continuing desire to become a nurse resulted in my applying and being accepted to Midwestern State University. There, I received a BSN and became a registered nurse. My experience at Midwestern prepared me for a successful career by instilling confidence within me as I joined the workforce. As my experience grew and years went by, I became eager to further my education and pursue my master's degree. Then life happened: the two-legged version that requires love, compassion, energy, and time. Now that my child is in school, with the support of my family, I am ready and dedicated to become a family nurse practitioner.

I cannot attribute my desire of becoming a nurse to following the footsteps of a family member, nor caring for a sick family member as I was growing up. I am a first generation high school student, furthermore, a college graduate. I became a mother at the very young age of sixteen. Being so young and growing up without the care of my parents, it was always said I, too, would end up in a rough situation and not be able to care for my child being so young myself. I continued out my days and nights being a high school teen mom. I graduated from high school in three years by attending night school while I was pregnant; allowing me to finish school sooner and obtain a better job that would allow me to take care of my son.

In today’s society people are talking about babies being born to drugs, and how could a mother do that to their unborn child. Drug addiction is a very serious issue that needs more research. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. One problem that needs to be looked at is are there enough Rehabilitation Centers, to help the women who are addicted to these different street drugs. Also doctor and nurses should not judge these women but instead give them the best prenatal care that can be provided. We need to see what harm and side affects it has on the mother and baby, so that we can be able to understand better how to treat these women and get them off drugs before they do harm their babies.

From the interview with Ms. Lakesha Carter, I have come to the conclusion that I would enjoy being a nurse for multiple reasons. The job of nurse can range from helping patients to and from their rooms to feeding and tending to their everyday needs. I have also come to understand that nursing is not just a job where you just help elderly people all day. A nurse is a lifeline for patients who range from the stages of an unborn child to an elderly person. Nurses help people who are in need for some help throughout the day. Ms. Carter made it clear that this job is not easy and should always be taken seriously. This interview affected my career choice by making it clearer that I would do a great job as a nurse. I am capable to help better the

“Crack-babies” a media induced phenomena brought about by the climax of public outcry from the results of the 1980’s war on drugs. This term laid the foundation for biased prosecutions which sparked a political crusade during climate of the time. Thus exploiting the public’s fear of children born to substance addicted mother and creating a firestorm of litigation to prosecute pregnant drug addicts. According to Flavin, Paltrow (2010), current evidence points to public stigmas and prejudice as posing a greater danger to both maternal and fetal health than use of the drug itself. Leaving the question as to why addicted women are still publicly reviled for the outcomes of their circumstances. From this abhorrence stems the likelihood that

would not be able to live a normal life for the rest of its life. The

In the United States, prenatal substance use continues to be a widespread problem with the addictive substances used during pregnancy; the risk factors, and the long-term effects a baby can have. When a pregnant woman uses drugs, she and her unborn child face serious health problems. Long-term effects of drugs on babies can include behavioral problems as they grow older. They can also be born addicted to the drugs used to treat the mother’s addiction. The task at hand is to make sure that we view all drugs of abuse through a common lens, regardless of legal status, so that their impact on child outcome can be adequately assessed leading to appropriate policy

Alcohol is a very serious topic when it come to a pregnant woman because if they do alcohol there are so many different out comes for the child. WE want to know the problems and how we can prevent it so that we can save these children from a critical stage in their lives. So should we allow the Government control and take care of woman who do alcohol while pregnant?

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.