...Contents INTRODUCTION 1 EFFECTS OF THE DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES ON THE FETUS 2 Marijuana (also known as weed, pot or grass): 2 Cocaine: 2 Alcoholism 3 LAW AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE MOTHERS 4 THEORIES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 6 Biological Theories 6 Genetic Factors 6 Metabolic Imbalance 7 THEORECTICAL PERSPECTIVE 8 MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT 10 SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 11 EXPECTED RESULTS/TIMEFRAME 12 CONCLUSION 13 REFERENCES 14 PICTURES ILLUSTRATING PREGNANT SUBSTANCE ABUSE WOMEN AND FETUS 15 INTRODUCTION Social problems exist at the door step of every community it has been in existence decades ago and still lives on today. Social problems can be defined as an issue that relates to society’s perception of an individual’s personal life and their behaviour is considered to be out of the norm. Substance abuse has vast becoming an epidemic in today’s society and it is considered as a social problem. Substance abuse is one thing but to see pregnant women abusing these endangering substances is another issue. People use drugs for many different reasons but for a pregnant woman to use drugs she may be mentally ill or depressed. Substance abuse may not have a serious or long-lasting effect on you but the same is not always true for a foetus. Mothers that abuse substances give birth to "drug babies." These children have serious developmental problems. Researches show that using substances legal or illegal during pregnancy has a direct impact on the foetus, whether smoking...
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...Abstract Substance abuse during pregnancy can cause many medical problems for the baby after birth. Tobacco, alcohol, and many other forms of illegal substances can cause medical concerns both during pregnancy and after birth to a baby exposed during pregnancy. Low birth weight, heart defects and premature birth are some of the common effects of substance abuse during pregnancy. The Effects of Substance Abuse on Unborn Babies In today's society, people are talking about babies being born addicted to drugs, and how a mother could harm her unborn child. Substance abuse during pregnancy can have devastating and lasting effects on unborn babies. Drug addiction is a very serious condition that requires more research. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. Doctors and nurses should not judge these women, but should instead give them the best prenatal care that can be provided. We need to see what harm and side effects substance abuse has on the mother and baby so that we can be able to better understand how to treat the both of them during pregnancy and after birth. Tobacco is sometimes called the lessor of all evils, but “there are over four thousand chemicals” (Johnson, 2012), including nicotine and carbon monoxide. These are the two most dangerous chemicals. Smoking during pregnancy affects the mother and baby’s health before, during, and after the baby is born. The nicotine (the addictive substance in tobacco), carbon monoxide, and numerous other poisons...
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...Maternal Substance Abuse During Pregnancy The choice to use drugs is just that—a choice. Pregnant women who make the conscientious decision to abuse substances shall realize that when they chose to use drugs, they assumed responsibility for the natural consequences and shall be held accountable for their own actions by law. It is fair to assume that the mother also made a choice to be sexually active, allowing the opportunity to become pregnant; and, regardless of whether or not she planned the pregnancy, she allowed the pregnancy to come to term. “Children, like all people, have the right to be free from having drugs introduced into their systems by others,” (Merrick, 1993). For the reason of choice and this reason, the rights to freedom, there shall be criminal penalties for mothers who give birth to substance-exposed infants. Janna Merrick (1993) accurately stated that, “pregnancy is unlike any other medical condition in that care must be provided simultaneously for both the woman and the fetus.” Because a fetus is unable to protect or fend for itself prior to birth, it becomes the mother's obligation to do so for their unborn child. Mother’s that are unable to properly care for their child in utero are clearly unfit mothers from the very start; and, adding any form of substance abuse to that mix only puts the child at greater risk for medical complications and suffering post delivery. If, as a society, we work to reduce the incidence of maternal substance abuse by prosecution...
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...(AAC, 2018). The factors that influence women in substance abuse treatment vary based on situation and context. Furthermore, substance abuse among women vary between sub-groups of women in the socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic dimensions (Tiedje, 1998). Sociodemographic issues such as relationships, age, education, race, child protective service involvement, pregnancy, supportive therapies and comprehensive case management all affect the ability of women to have enough support in treatment (Greenfield, 2007). Disparities in populations are represents as location and use. African American women in their late 20s to early 30s from inner city populations demonstrate relevant cocaine use (Fox, 1994). Despite cocaine being considered to be a substance used by the wealthy and famous historically, it is currently used widely in the inner cities as a substance of...
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...Effects of Maternal Substance Abuse on Infants Casey A. Burns Oklahoma City University The Effects of Maternal Substance Abuse on Infants Substance abuse is a topic that is encountered in our world everyday. Drinking and doing drugs are recreational activities that many people choose to participate in on a regular basis. What most people do not understand is that if you drink and do drugs while pregnant, then the fetus is essentially drinking and doing drugs as well. This is because the majority of anything the mother injests crosses the placental and hematoencephalic barrier with out being metabolised first which in turn affects, primarily, the central nervous system of the unborn fetus (Kassada, Marcon, Pagliarini, Rossi,...
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...2013 Substance Abuse and Pregnancy Women are incredible creatures. Women have the incredible ability to aid in the development of a new life within a matter of months. Whether a pregnancy is wanted or unplanned the process of development for the young zygote nestled within the mother’s womb is still phenomenal. The developing bundles of cells are very vulnerable from the very start to the end of a pregnancy. The progress of development for the zygote is a delicate one than can be interrupted or slowed down by many internal and external forces. The forces that can interrupt development can range from biological to environmental. The woman carrying the child is responsible for not only her life but the life of her unborn child. Many activities a mother engages in, the unborn child engages in as well. Activities that the mother participates in can be harmless such as listening to music or enjoying a healthy snack. Unfortunately, some activities are not beneficial for the new life. A mother who participates in substance abuse is putting herself and her child at risk. Substance abuse during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the mother, the unborn child, and raises an ethical dilemma. The online Merriam Webster dictionary states that “Autonomy is self-directing freedom and especially moral independence” (Merriam-Webster). Autonomy is a freedom that many individuals can exercise but it takes a rational individual to do so responsibly. The use of substances is an...
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...Prenatal Substance Abuse Effects on the Exposed Fetus Substance abuse during pregnancy has become a significant problem worldwide. Studies show that drugs taken by a pregnant woman can cause many short and long term health risks to the fetus. The substance reach the fetus primarily by crossing the placenta, the same route taken by oxygen and nutrients, which are needed for the fetus growth and development. Drugs that a pregnant woman takes during pregnancy can cause direct impact to the fetus. Prenatal drug exposure increases the risk of giving birth to babies with developmental delays. Women who use alcohol, cocaine or tobacco when they are pregnant may have brain structure changes that persis into early adolescence. The negative effects...
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...Teen substance abuse can cause many problems in a young person’s life. The tragedy can cause breaking up of families and relationships, health issues/overdoses, and unwanted pregnancies. But what happens if the teen is still abusing substances while carrying a child? Drugs and alcohol can have an unbelievable affect on an unborn child, and the more the mother is irresponsible about it, the worse it will be. It is important for nurses to know how to handle this situation, whether it is protecting the health of the pregnant teenage mother, or the health of the newborn baby with complications. This paper will address the many symptoms and malfunctions that can occur when a teenager continues to use alcohol and drugs, even while carrying their child. Scope Statement The first database that was used was Nursing and Allied Health, which provided most of the information that is used in this paper. Typing in “teenage substance abuse and pregnancy” came up with a lot of results, but putting the cut off limit at around 10 years definitely helped with decreasing that number. Also, looking to see if the article had the full PDF text online was helpful. Keywords that were looked for when scanning an article would be pregnancy, any kind of substance that was abused, and statistic or graphs included was an attention grabber. After finding the three main scholarly articles very easily on Nursing and Allied Health, the next browser that was used was Google. After typing in the main topic, which...
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...Fayne Davis Mary Beth Ray Psychology 220 15 April 2012 When Treatment Does Not Work Then Prosecute The phenomenon of substance abuse during pregnancy has fostered much controversy, specifically regarding treatment vs. punishment. Should the pregnant mother who engages in substance abuse be viewed as a criminal or as someone suffering from an illness requiring appropriate treatment? This diversity of dramatically different responses illustrates the failure to establish a uniform policy for the management of this problem. The issue of substance abuse is one that has negatively plagued society. The complexities surrounding addiction are not easily overcome. These complexities are even more defined in cases of substance abuse by pregnant women, including legal addictive substances such as nicotine and alcohol. This issue has been pushed to the forefront of the public consciousness over the course of the past 30 years. Murphy and Rosenbaum 1999, describe maternal prenatal substance abuse as “chronic use of alcohol and/or other drugs by pregnant women”. It is my belief that the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs during pregnancy is still child endangerment .All these tetatogen’s can kill your baby or cause serious problems for them with the development of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional abilities. It is unfair to the child to have no control over what has caused them problems with development as a result of their mother’s teratogen...
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...Jessica Sandoval SWU 171 Stacey Moreno April 6, 2015 Research Project The number of women who are suffering from alcohol or drug addiction while they are pregnant or once they have given birth, is growing more and more every day. Addiction during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the health of the mother and her unborn child. The baby could suffer from different types of abnormalities and defects. The mother, on the other hand, may suffer from high blood pressure, sexually transmitted diseases, premature labor, and skin infection along with many other problems. Addiction during pregnancy is a serious problem, and these women who are suffering from drug or alcohol addiction should seek help immediately. According to Social Work Today, an individualized program and flexibility are among the top recommendations for treating pregnant or postpartum women addicted to alcohol or other drugs. Different facilities offer different programs and a different length of treatment depending on the woman’s needs. Education and life skills are taught in all of the programs for pregnant or postpartum women with addictions. For example, they learn to cook, clean, and how to manage their household. At Gratitude House facility, they teach parenting classes and instruct patients on how to care for their baby. Individual therapy is required once a week as well as group therapy sessions and other group activities. Peer support is essential to women with addictions while pregnant or...
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...pregnant as this can cause severe problems for the child developing inside of her. Any woman, who consumes illegal drugs while pregnant, should be charged with child neglect and abuse; preventing the woman from being the mother to that child she doesn’t care for. A mother is supposed to protect her child, not harm...
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...Pregnant Mothers Who Use Drugs During Pregnancy: Should They Be Prosecuted? English Composition I June 3, 2012 What are the long-term effects on children who were drug exposed in utero? Are criminal charges for child abuse the best solution for pregnant mothers who use illicit drugs during pregnancy? This is a question that has become a hot topic and cause for controversy among the medical community, legal community, and society in general over the last 20 years. For example, South Carolina has defended their actions in the criminal convictions of women charged with child abuse for using drugs, such as crack cocaine, during pregnancy, while states like Wisconsin and South Dakota have taken less drastic measures. Almost all states agree that some sort of action needs to be taken to protect unborn children, but what those actions should be are widely varied and debated. Although personal feelings and emotions often lead us to immediately draw one conclusion; thorough research and doing what is best for women, children and their families are a strong argument for looking at other alternatives to this problem. South Carolina has long been at the forefront of the movement to criminalize prenatal substance abuse, using a broad range of laws to enforce a policy that began at one or two hospitals in the state and, over time, has expanded to a statewide initiative [Contemporary Women’s Issues] 1998. However, states such as Wisconsin are wrestling with when the criminal...
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...Alcohol is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in the United States (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Revisited). When a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy she risks giving birth to a child who will have mental and physical deficiencies for their entire life. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first described and published in medical literature in 1968. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a physical abnormality most recognized in the facial features and reduced size of newborns it can also lead to behavior problems and cognition. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by mothers drinking heavy during pregnancy. The current recommendation of the US Surgeon General is not to drink alcohol at all during pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome one in every 750 infants are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year in the United States. An additional 40,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when alcohol crosses the placental barrier and it stunts fetal growth or weight, creates distinctive facial stigmata, damage neurons and brain structures, and causes other physical, mental, or behavioral problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by prenatal exposure to high level of alcohol. Many people think of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as a drunken baby or a baby addicted to alcohol but Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not either. According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS...
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...Article Review: State Responses to Substance Abuse Among Pregnant Women Developmental Psychology For decades, American citizens and lawmakers alike have been arguing over the controversial issue of women's prenatal substance abuse. Considering that the public opinion for this matter varies across the nation, each state has their own set of laws on how to deal with the issue. Some states have made drug treatment more readily available for pregnant women with a history of drug abuse, while others have attempted to criminalize prenatal drug-use or use it as grounds to end custodial rights. “For many lawmakers, the issue comes downs to the difficult task of balancing a woman’s right to bodily integrity with society’s interest in ensuring healthy pregnancies, and the question of whether punitive approaches will foster - or hinder - health outcomes for women and children.” This report covers both the negative and positive approaches of state intervention to alleviating prenatal substance abuse and the alarming statistics regarding the relationship between prenatal drug-use and race. For advocates of women’s reproductive rights, they ask the question: “Can the state ever be justified in regulating a pregnant woman’s behavior in the interest of protecting her fetus and whether such policies potentially undermine the legality of abortion?” To date, no state has yet enacted a law that criminalizes drug-use during pregnancy. Nevertheless, hundreds of women have been arrested...
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...Drug Abuse and its Effects Introduction Drug abuse is a malaise that the U.S. has been fighting since a long time and still has a long way to go, whether it is the youth or the elderly, people from all age groups, all ethnicities and races, all regions and religions, seems to be afflicted with the enigma that is drug abuse. Internationally, over 200 million people chomp through some type of illicit drugs. From ordinary bhaang, Cannabis, opium to artificial “designer” drugs like ecstasy or MDMA, barbiturate derivatives, benzodiazepines like alprazolam, diazepam, amphetamines, Phenethylamine and Tryptamine derivatives; different forms of drugs are available for inducing excitation or jubilation. What is Drug Abuse Drug abuse is unprovoked, decorative utilization of any usual or synthetic substance or drug in an unapproved amount for performance augmentation and psychosomatic effect for non-therapeutic, non-medical use by an individual with methods neither approved nor supervised by medical professionals. The society as a whole has been at the suffering end of this habit for a long time. Drug abuse has made such deeper inlays in our lives that there seems to be no end to this menace. Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family. Drugs take a tremendous toll on our society at many levels. People who use drugs incident a wide array...
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