Marijuana And Teenage Pregnancy Essay

The data showed that between 2009 and 2010, 16.2 percent of women between the ages of 15-17 years old, 7.4 percent of women between the ages of 18-25 years old, and 1.9 percent of women between the ages of 26-44 years old had used illicit drugs while pregnant. The data also showed substance abuse during pregnancy among different ethnic and racial groups. African Americans had the highest percentage in 2010 at 10.7 percent. The next highest was the White population at 9.1 percent. Hispanics or Latino’s percentage was 8.1 percent and the Asian population had the lowest percentage at 3.5 percent (“Results from”, 2011).

In this article, whether or not prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) contributes to marijuana use at age fourteen is studied. Over the years the use of marijuana and its effects on adolescents has increased. There have been attempts to prevent the use of marijuana among adolescents, but in order to prevent something you have to know the reason for the occurrence. “Among preteens and adolescents, PME predicted poorer performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive functioning” (Day, Goldschmidt & Thomas, 2006). In addition to PME, factors such as: child management practices,

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

In 1,234 neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) children born to teenagers, approximately 91% revealed cases of parental substance abuse. Further, the test showed that about 69% of pregnant mothers less than 19 years old were positive when subjected to drug and substance checks. Seventy-two percent of children born were positive to drug tests. On an equal marking, Kentucky used opioids more than the entire United States. Nevertheless, there is an absence of adequate data that demonstrate a clear numerical contrast of Kentucky and the entire United

The use of marijuana has been linked to the development of schizophrenia later in life, although the certain dose of marijuana is not yet known. All of the above are known to affect the child’s success in school one way or another. Those exposed to methamphetamine have fetal growth restriction, decreased arousal, and poor quality of movement as infants. The use of heroin (opiate) during pregnancy has been associated with low birth weight, but the impact of prescription opiate abuse on pregnancy outcomes is not yet well understood (Chambers, Polifka, & Friedman, 2008). In some extreme cases, babies who are exposed to drug use during pregnancy are labeled as “drug babies” when they are born. Drug babies are exposed to high amounts of drugs during pregnancy. Furthermore, these infants are born addicted to whatever drug their mother was abusing during pregnancy. Some of these babies need the drug to live and some go through withdraw symptoms if they aren’t given the drug. Unfortunately, these babies reach such a high tolerance for the drug that they may die if they don’t have the drug (Chambers, Polifka, & Friedman, 2008). As a result of this these babies don’t have a normal developmental growth and may suffer from muscle spasms and or body rigidity. Not all physicians are willing to administer drugs to these babies to avoid withdrawal symptoms and although

Teenage pregnancies have been looked down upon in society throughout the years, and when races become a factor, society tends to perceive them in a much more harsh manner. The movie Juno portrays the pregnancy of a teenage white girl and how society treats her. With her choice to continue her pregnancy, and give the child up for adoption, allows Juno to discover the girl that she is. This movie is seen as Juno’s coming of age story, which doesn't necessarily have to mean puberty, this is more of how she transforms into adulthood. Her pregnancy takes her on a journey of self-discovery.

This study talks about how both legal and illegal substance abuse during a woman’s pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and poor development in their unborn baby. The different substances that can lead to birth defects include cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. "Over the last two decades, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and cigarettes have been four of the most commonly used substances during pregnancy, and thus have been the most frequently studied." (Janisse, Bailey, Ager, Sokol, 2014, p.60)

Tzilos, Hess and Kao (2013) proposed to identify the profile of perinatal women seeking treatment for marijuana abuse, and the effects of this substance abuse on the outcomes on the baby following their birth. Data was collected from clinical records of 67 women who were marijuana dependent and were attending an inner city outpatient programme; attending group and individual psycho-educational and cognitive behavioural sessions. This study found that those women who continued to use marijuana throughout their pregnancy,

A growing issue that continues to go on today is the drug and alcohol abuse by pregnant women. This has become a growing issue due to the fact that pregnancy is starting at a much younger age. Women tend to become pregnant around the age of 15 to 44 (“Birth Data”). In young women among the ages of 18 to 24, the alcohol and tobacco rates were 25.5 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively (Chen). As of 2001, about 12 percent of all pregnant women admitted to consuming alcohol during their pregnancy (Burd). Out of the 4 million or so births in the United States, 64,000 have had high levels of exposure to alcohol while pregnant (Burd). Similarly, teenagers and those in their early adulthood are getting exposed to all different types of drugs.

“Cigarette smoking, alcohol use and substance abuse is common, and unfortunately, may have many adverse effects on the developing child as well as the pregnancy, including an increased risk of fetal growth restriction, premature delivery and placental abruption.” (Cogswell, M. E., Weisberg, P., & Spong, C. 2003) The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between these maternal habits and the adverse effects they have on pregnancy, particularly the infant.

Recently, according to a study published in Reproductive Toxicology, 2016, marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase the risk of pre-term birth. The Heath Findings, the lastest public health studies and research, announced the study of Reproductive Toxicology. It mentions that the study aslo found that thirty six percent of marijuana users participating in the study gave birth at less than twenty eight weeks of gestation and sixty four percent gave birth at less than thirty two weeks of gestation comparing with group of not use marijuana shown five percent gave birth at less than twenty eight weeks of gestation and sixteen percent percent gave birth at thirty two weeks of

When it comes to the topic of do TV shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” promote or discourage teenage pregnancy, most of us will readily agree that it in fact does promote teenage pregnancy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how does this promote teenage pregnancy. Whereas some are convinced that it promotes teenage pregnancy through the fame some of the young couples have achieved, others maintain that it in fact discourages teenage pregnancy by showing the struggles and reality of having a child at such a young age. I agree that the show “16 and Pregnant” promotes teenage pregnancy because a new Indiana University research study confirms it.

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.

Going through school can be a difficult time for children, especially during their adolescent years. The most difficult part of high school is dealing with peer pressure and the constant pressure of having sex. As children go through life and generations go in and out of the school system it is becoming more common for teens to partake in sexual activities. It is said that 47% of all high school students are sexually active and have been with more than one sexual partner. Unfortunately, this activity is something that does not discriminate. In-fact, it can be seen in all genders, races, and communities.

Like Amy and Loeber (2009), when it comes to the ecological paradigm of teenage pregnancy, Corcoran, Franklin, and Bennett (2000) also believe one’s socioeconomic status is a huge factor that contributes to this problem. A person’s socioeconomic status a lot of times determines “education, expanded family size, single-parent household structure, and lessened resources in terms of employment and income.” These three authors claim that educational performance and goals “dictate the potential costs of child bearing at a young age.” Their studies have also shown that teenage girls’ relationships with the school setting and poorer performance in school serve a greater risk for adolescent pregnancy.