Fetal Abuse is a social problem that has caused heated debate for the past two decades. Since 1985, many studies have been conducted on the effects of substances such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and nicotine on the unborn child. This marked the beginning of fetal abuse's transformation from a social issue to a social problem. After these studies were conducted, the results found were very concerning to society. Negative effects were found in children born to mothers using the substances, effects that are permanent, including physical deformities and mental impairment.
An example of the negative effects of substance abusing pregnant women can be seen in the phenomena of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and the related, less severe, Fetal Alcohol Effects. A woman puts her child at risk for developing many problems when she consumes alcohol during pregnancy. These problems include: low birth weight, irregularly small head size, clubfoot, facial deformities, mental retardation, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and problems with the liver, kidneys, heart, and joints.
Infants who are born to drug addicted mothers are often faced with going through withdrawal from their mother's drug of choice. The symptoms of withdrawal that an infant may experience include: hyperactivity, sleeping and eating problems, fussiness, breathing problems, vomiting, diarrhea, and convulsions. Long-term development is also at risk of being affected in infants whose mothers' used drugs while pregnant.
The effects that were found in the studies done on infants and children who were exposed to these various substances shocked and alarmed society. Political leaders, community organizations, and religious associations al...
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... It's effects on the fetus are proven. Why then are we not making more serious attempts at educating society on the dangers of smoking while pregnant. I feel that this could be done by running awareness commercials during prime time television viewing hours. Another way to increase a pregnant woman's awareness of the problem is to have pamphlets printed up and placed in popular baby stores such as "Babies R Us" or "The Children's Place." These pamphlets should also be given to women by their health care providers. When it is known that a pregnant woman is a smoker, the health care provider should be able to refer her to a class held by the hospital to educate women on smoking's dangerous effects. It is my belief that in any type of drug use regarding pregnant women if we increase awareness and the availability of help we will see a decrease in the problem.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of problems a newborn experiences when exposed to addictive drugs that the mother consumes during pregnancy. NAS is a growing concern in the United States and can have significant adverse effects on newborns. Shortly after birth the infant can display many physical symptoms of withdrawal. In addition, substance abuse during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, seizures, birth defects, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and possible long-term cognitive and behavioral problems.
NAS has turned into an epidemic espicially in the state of Tennessee a little more than 320 babies were born with NAS in 2013. Tennessee was the first state to start keeping track of the number of cases of NAS. NAS occurs when pregnant women take drugs such as heroin, codeine, oxycodone, methadone, or buprenorphine (“Babies are being born addicted to drugs”). This happens when the substances pass through the placenta that connects the baby to its mother. Then the baby becomes dependent on the drug like the mother. Hospitals began treating these cases with morphine, by administering a dosage of morphine every few hours as needed and reducing the dosage until the baby was better. During this process doctors need to keep a look out for the babies since the morphine can cause them to stop breathing. A baby born with NAS usually suffers from low birth weight and respiratory problems. Heroin and cocaine are some of the most common drugs being abused, and they both have short and long term effects other than withdrawal symptoms: Such as ph...
Just as drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and crystal meth affect the mother, it also affects the child. Babies that are born to drug using mothers are called “drug babies” and just like their mother they become addicted to the drugs causing behavior problems during their childhood. They can also have birth defects, premature birth, and are usually underweight. Babies that are born to cocaine using mothers are called “crack babies” and they face the risk of a stroke leading to brain damage. Teratogenic medications such as some antibiotics, cancer fighting medicines, blood thinners, and acne fighting medicines such as Accutane can all cause birth
Many factors determine if a substance and circus,stance harm a fetus. these factors include a critical time, frequency of the exposure to the substance and genetics. But some substances for example teratogens, do not cause any
Drug and alcohol use in pregnancy poses a threat to the neonate’s development and the obstetric provider has an obligation to screen for substance use. Substance use in pregnancy can place the developing fetus at risk for in-utero opioid dependence, fetal-alcohol syndrome, preterm labor, and other consequences of maternal alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use.(6) Within the past three years La Crosse County has seen a marked increase in the amount of heroin use.(7)
Messigner D.S., Bauer R.C., Das A., Seifer R., Lester B.M., Laquasse L.L. et al. (2004). Maternal lifestyle study: Cognitive, motor and behavioral outcomes of cocaine-exposed and opiate-exposed infants through three years of age. Society for Pediatric Research, 1-3, 5, 6.
Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle. The placenta—the organ connecting a developing fetus to the uterine wall and allowing for waste elimination, nutrient uptake and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply—filters most harmful substances that threaten an embryo, though some may still pass on to the fetus. These harmful substances, called “teratogens,” range from environmental chemicals to the passing of maternal diseases, and can negatively impact the normal developmental cycle of a fetus. The title “teratogen,” however, effectually refers to any substance or chemical exposure with the potential to cause birth defects in prenatal development. Exposure to teratogens can result in a broad spectrum of physiological and psychological issues in later life, including malformations of the body. (Malformations resulting from exposure to one of the most common teratogens—alcohol—can be observed notoriously in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS, where patterns of mental and physical defects develop in association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.) Though the toxicity of these teratogens is particularly damaging during the fourth through tenth weeks of gestation, teratogens can harm throughout the span of development in the womb.
The intake of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy can cause many different birth defects. Drugs and alcohol can easily reach the baby while inside the mother. When a pregnant woman consumes a drug or some alcohol it enters into her bloodstream, then makes its way to the placenta. When it reaches the placenta it travels through the umbilical cord to the baby’s body (Schniderman pg. 27). Once it reaches the bay it can cause a lot of different problems. Drinking alcohol can cause the baby to be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. If too much alcohol gets into the baby’s bloodstream the baby will most likely have FAS. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can affect an infant after it is born or even later on in life. Kids with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be impulsive at times, and they tend to not learn from their own mistakes and behavior unlike other children (Stewart pg. 47). Having a child with FAS could be very hard. They have difficulties trying to learn certain things. Learning from mistakes make life so much easier, and having a child who cannot do that could be very stressful. Many people put the...
Increasing numbers of women are abusing drugs during pregnancy and thus endangering the well-being and lives of their children as well as themselves. The spreading abuse of phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, and cocaine's potent form "crack," added to the more well-known addictive narcotics such as heroin, has intensified concerns about the implications of maternal drug use for unborn children.
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.
When it comes to pregnancy, expectant mothers usually have a lot of questions and concerns. One such concern is alcohol consumption. Some people feel that it is okay while others are against the consumption. However those who drink take a huge risk that can result in what is referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This umbrella term is used to describe the range of damage from alcohol exposure to a fetus. The characteristics, diagnosis, and the mother are all important factors to look at when trying to understand these birth defects.
Drug abuse can be harmful due to the fact that the placenta connect the mother to the child. Therefore, everything the mother take in her body will be shared with the growing child. If the mother uses a drug the child will be affected by it. At this stage, the baby (fetus) is very delicate to drugs and cannot remove drugs successfully as the mother is able to. Consequently, all the chemical can pile up to very extreme levels in the child’s system and can also cause damages that will last a lifetime. The effect of perinatal drugs use are influenced by the stage of development of the ...
If one does not incur an illness, their child may due to the parent’s drug abuse. Drugs can affect even the unborn baby. They can change the very structure of a man’s sperm, causing him to become sterile or give an egg a diseased sperm. “A pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or hashish may/could give birth prematurely to an undersized, underweight baby,”– (Drug-Free World #1). A baby born in spite of all of these conditio...
When I was a senior in high school one of my classmates was pregnant and abusing cocaine during her whole pregnancy. This upset me so greatly and it still does today when I think about it. I felt angry with the mother, concerned and scared for the child, and I also felt confused about exactly what consequences the mother would face if anyone ever found out. Chapter fourteen in our textbook covers "Fetal Abuse": The Case of Drug-Exposed Infants, so naturally I became very interested on the subject. One of the issues brought up is criminal court response and whether the use of illegal drugs during pregnancy should be prosecuted. This is a controversial issue in our society that is very important to me. Currently, no state has passed legislation that actually makes it a "crime" to abuse drugs while pregnant. "Instead, criminal prosecutions have been based on existing criminal laws, which were never designed or intended to govern prenatal conduct." (Sagatun, Edwards 1995)
This essay covers information over the course of prenatal development. I will also discuss teratology and hazards to the prenatal development, those such as, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and opioids. Additionally, I will discuss how maternal factors such as maternal diet and nutrition, maternal age, emotional states and stress, and paternal factors, may influence prenatal development.