StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Drug Exposed Infants - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This article discusses the fact that there is an increase in illicit drug use by mothers of child bearing age. The mothers are abusing drugs while the child is in utero. This article acknowledges the use of alcohol as well but discusses drug use only. A separate article exists discussing alcohol use…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.3% of users find it useful
Drug Exposed Infants
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Drug Exposed Infants"

Download file to see previous pages

Mothers should be prevented, through education, from using drugs while pregnant. As a result of the illicit drug use, the children require intense monitoring by their pediatrician. Women who use cocaine while pregnant -- especially those who are likely to get noticed as addicts or be tested for drugs in the hospital -- tend also to drink more booze, smoke more cigarettes, and dip into a greater variety of illicit drugs than other women. Cocaine is not truly associated with any pattern of defects.

Nor does it produce infantile withdrawal, like opiates. Today there is something approaching scientific consensus that cocaine increases the risk of low birth weight and perhaps premature delivery. Left unmonitored and untreated, the babies, as shown by studies have long term developmental delays. This article explains to any reader that there are serious ramifications with illicit drug ingestion during pregnancy. Moreover, it explains that the child is severely damaged and begins life at a tremendous disadvantage.

It explains the mental, social, educational, physical and legal implications of this behavior on the child. It is important for doctors and their employees to learn about in utero drug use from a suspected mother because the babies need treatment. The key is to question them in a manner that is non threatening and non judgmental. The mothers will already feel guilt or fear about legal consequences. Toxicology testing alone will not provide all of the information needed. Above all, pediatricians must be able to identify babies that have been exposed to neo natal drug use. 3.) What are the ramifications if the problem is not addressed If the problem is not addressed, there will be an outbreak of drug addicted babies.

Some of the defects these babies suffer remain undiscovered. The failure to teach the mothers the dangers of drug use to their babies is sure to create repeat behavior. Moreover, there is a strong likelihood of the children being exposed to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This is a pattern that will continue to repeat itself. Forced intervention, according to the academy will not work. Mothers will not seek help for themselves or their babies if there is the threat of jail. The academy feels that the only intervention that will be effective is education.5) What are the tangible benefits of resolving the problem The tangible benefits of course, are healthy mothers and children.

The educated parents can not only help their babies, but teach them the importance of maintaining a drug free life. In short, a positive cycle is created instead of the negative one discussed in the article. There will not be an overflow in an already taxed foster care system. There will not be criminal charges, and separation of mothers and their children which is often the result of Child Protective Services Interventions, without the needed support. 4) Describe and evaluate any solutions provided in the article.

The article mentioned several ways to educate mothers suspected of taking illicit drugs. The article encourages pediatric employees to take a social work approach in informing the community about the dangers of

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Drug Exposed Infants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Drug Exposed Infants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506815-drug-exposed-infants
(Drug Exposed Infants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Drug Exposed Infants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506815-drug-exposed-infants.
“Drug Exposed Infants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506815-drug-exposed-infants.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Drug Exposed Infants

Drug-Exposed Infants

From the paper "Drug-exposed infants" it is clear that the drug-exposed infants come from poor families or neighborhoods, then researchers should also anticipate the deterioration in the performance of children who were prenatally exposed to drugs as they become older.... hellip; Researchers depend on empirical results from the impacts of other substances on the development of infants as a basis to what they can expect from drug-exposed infants, then they should anticipate slight disparities between non-exposed and drug-exposed infants, with both groups of children perhaps performing within a scale of low to average....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

The Prevalence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Diagnosis The Finnegan Scoring System is developed based on opiate withdrawal, and thus may not be appropriate for infants exposed to other drugs.... Those exposed to cocaine show hyperactive Moro reflex, jittering, and excessive sucking.... Causes The syndrome can be caused by abrupt discontinuation of opioid, more commonly fentanyl, especially after prolonged drug use.... These symptoms should manifest shortly after birth, since drug exposure, which is a vital factor for symptom presentation, does not continue after birth (Levinson-Castiel et al....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Life span Develpoemnt (Prenatal Developement)-Chronic Illnesses,diet & exercise

The infants who are at the greatest risk of fetal alcohol syndrome are born to women who drink heavily on a regular basis during her first trimester.... It is estimated that 30% to 50% of the infants born to chronically alcoholic women experiences a “serious... Pre-natal usage of illicit and legal but harmful substances such as illegal drugs, nicotine, alcohol and prescription drugs has shown to be harmful to the developing fetus....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Sudden infant Death Syndrome

Reports by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) indicate that most deaths resulting from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome take place in infants in the age bracket of 2-4 months and that it hardly ever happens before the age of one month or after six months.... According to Springhouse, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the third leading cause of infants' death between the age of one month and one year.... This incidence is most common during winter and it is higher in infants who sleep on their stomachs or in cribs with soft bedding, infants born in poverty, premature neonates, male infants and those infants whose mothers failed to seek prenatal care until late in the pregnancy....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Should Expectant Mother Be Tested for Drugs

Ladies and gentlemen, let me confirm my heartfelt sentiments by asking you this very question again: should the expectant mothers undergo drug testing?... Kindly let me breakdown this complex of prenatal drug testing for you, honorable people of the United States.... According to the famous scientist, Sannersted, drug can be defined as any substance that when taken in can change the normal functioning of the mind (1996)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Mental Health and Its Impact on Children

With time, however, asylum care progressed significantly, incorporating advanced drug and psychiatric treatment.... Mental health remains one of the principal concerns for healthcare practitioners and other stakeholders, not only in the UK, but in other societies as well.... The importance of mental health traverses economic, social, and cultural backgrounds hence the need for better… Facilities dedicated to the care of patients with mental health and affiliated illnesses in England can be dated back to the Middle Age, such as the Bethlem Hospital, which was established in 1247 (Jones, 1972)....
18 Pages (4500 words) Thesis

Infant Mortality in the United States

However, married Black women and older Black women do not fare much better (in terms of their infants' survival) when compared to young, unmarried Black women.... In the paper “Infant Mortality in the United States,” the author answers the question: What is the difference in infant mortality rates in different racial groups?...
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Drug-Exposed Infants

This paper ''Drug-exposed infants'' tells that Drugs are one of the significant environmental factors identified to contribute to biological deformities in infants.... According to Nwoke (2008), opiate-exposed infants have earlier lung development, perhaps resultant in chronic fetal disorder.... Addis and colleagues (2001) find out that, at times, abnormal infants are born, revealing the damaging effects of drugs on a growing fetus.... The outcomes of drug exposure are more manifest in the early phases of pregnancy when the fetus's vital organs are growing....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us