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Alcohol and Drug Use During Pregnancy

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             Using drugs and alcohol during pregnancy is both physically and psychologically harmful to an unborn child. The damage caused by prenatal substance exposure extends much further than an unborn child's stint in the womb. Prenatal drug and alcohol exposure can affect a child for the rest of his or her life. According to a case study on adolescents who had been exposed to nicotine prenatally, conducted by Dr. Schadad Lotfipour and his colleges, teenagers who were exposed to nicotine prenatally were much more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol (Lofipour 1244). Additionally, Lofipour discovered that the orbitofrontal cortex in the brains of the prenatally exposed teenagers were much smaller than the non-exposed control group (Lofipour 1248). According to Oxford Journal writers Carmen Cavada and Wolfram Schultz in their article, "The Mysterious Orbitofrontal Cortex", the orbitofrontal cortex is accepted as the center of many human social and behavioral functions. .
             The psychological disorders associated with prenatal drug and alcohol exposure are likely becoming a serious mental health occurrence. The behavioral issues caused from prenatal drug and alcohol exposure affect more then just the afflicted individual. The friends and family members of a prenatally drug or alcohol exposed person will probably have to endure the burden of caring for, improvising with, and financing the health or psychological issues their loved one suffers from. A newborn baby can go through grueling and painful drug withdrawal for drugs he or she never chose to use. After the withdrawal ends, a child may be affected for the rest of his or her life. An afflicted person's home, school, and work life are likely to suffer from the psychological disorders caused by the use of drugs or alcohol before he or she was even born.
             The women who choose to use and abuse drugs and/or alcohol throughout their pregnancy may be bringing a socially, physically, and psychologically abnormal generation into the world.


Essays Related to Alcohol and Drug Use During Pregnancy

1. Substance Abuse During Pregnancy

... During Pregnancy. 17 Jan. 2003 < http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/smoking.htm>. "Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects." Alive and Free. 8 May 2000: 1-2. Smoking and Pregnancy. 17 Jan. 2003 < http://pregnancy.about.com/library/weekly/aa111998.htm>. Smoking During Pregnancy. 2003. 17 Jan. 2003 < http://quitsmo.../blpregrisk.htm>. United States Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Prevention Primer: an Encyclopedia of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Terms. Washington: GPO, 1994. Women and Drugs: Drug Use During Pregnancy ... . 17 Jan. 2003 < http:www.alb2c3...

  • Word Count: 1016
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Similarities in Challenges Facing Rural and Urban Youth

... issues, violence, the environment, sexual concerns, war and drug abuse. In the same study, the top five concerns of rural students included education, family issues, war, violence and the environment (Barrons et al, 1997). Some of the main parallel problems include alcohol/drug abuse, gangs, crime and violence, and teen pregnancy. Martin and Smith claim that, "Many Americans are unaware of ... have the greatest chance of being "at-risk." These students show greater rates of behavioral problems, feelings of alienation and hopelessness, suicidal Similarities in Challenges 4 tendencies, t...

  • Word Count: 2073
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography

3. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

... other drug including cocaine, heroin and marijuana" (Bagheri, Burd, Martsolf, & Klug, 1997). These statements provide a basic overview of why I chose this topic. I have always been amazed and horrified by the disregard for the well-being of another human that a pregnant woman can display by drinking excessively. Background FAS is a medical diagnosis that refers to a specific cluster of anomalies associated with the use of alcohol during pregnancy. The ... term was coined in 1973 by Jones and Smith, two physicians who were working on the hypothesis that malnutrition in alcoholic women ca...

  • Word Count: 1764
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Teratogens And The Effects Of Pregnancy

... in the environment that the mother may be exposed to during her pregnancy. It could be a prescribed medication, a street drug, alcohol use, or a disease present in the mother, which could increase the chance for the baby to be born with a birth defect. About 4 to 5 percent of birth defects are caused by exposure to a teratogen.When during pregnancy can teratogens really cause harm to the fetus?Teratogens are ... (FAS) is a group of abnormalities in babies born to mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome includes a characteristic group of defects including sma...

  • Word Count: 502
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. History of Drug Abuse

... ) cross the placental barrier, resulting in addicted babies who go through withdrawal soon after birth, and fetal alcohol syndrome can affect children of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Pregnant women who acquire the AIDS virus through intravenous drug use pass the virus to their infant. Effects on Society Drug abuse affects society in many ways. In the workplace it is costly in terms of lost work time ... and inefficiency. Drug users are more likely than nonusers to have occupational accidents, endangering themselves and those around them. Over half ... ...

  • Word Count: 5106
  • Approx Pages: 20
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

... mature it acts to detoxify the alcohol but her child's liver is not yet mature so as she would only be drunk for a couple hours her fetus would stay drunk for a couple of days. Symptoms could include but are not limited to growth retardation of the fetus. Alcohol causes more damage to the baby than any other drug known. In the US 5,000 ... babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year. More American babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome than with Down Syndrome, MD, and HIV combined, (www.come-over...). Some women who drink while they are ... how much would be safe to drin...

  • Word Count: 1479
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

... defects are caused by maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy which are irreversible, yet preventable. According to The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the name given to a group of physical and mental birth defects that are the direct result of a woman's drinking during pregnancy." It impacts the family, education system, health system and social services in general, ... to three live births per thousand in western countries It is estimated that between thirty and forty percent of all woman who drink heavily during pregnancy will have a child...

  • Word Count: 1292
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Child Development and Parenting Advice

... to users of cocaine, heroin, or meth are at risk for a variety of problems which includes prematurity, low birth weight, physical defects, breathing difficulties, and death at or around the time of birth (Berk, 2013, p. 97). These infants are also born drug-addicted causing them to be feverish, irritable, have trouble sleeping, have abnormally shrill cries, are less attentive to the environment ... transfers of nutrients causing the fetus to gain weight poorly (Berk, 2013, p. 98). The use of alcohol during pregnancy is another common problem which results in fetal alcohol syndrome (slow...

  • Word Count: 2833
  • Approx Pages: 11
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Overview of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

... of central nervous system damage. It is important to note that not all exhibit secondary disabilities. The most common are: mental health problems, disruptions in school, alcohol or drug use, legal problems, confinements, inappropriate sexual behavior, and dependant living (Sanford School of Medicine, 2009). The presentation of each individual feature of the syndrome may be variably expressed with age. The term Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ... in 2004, is a care coordination program to promote permanency for substance-exposed infants by addressing parental needs and increasing collabora...

  • Word Count: 1679
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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