[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y oldest cousin, Heidi, is a foster mother and has recently been taking care of an 8-month-old baby girl named Charlie. Charlie’s birth mother is a methadone addict and was pregnant with her while taking methadone. This caused Charlie to have many difficulties when she was born including, an early birth with a premature weight and having trouble breathing, eating, and staying alive. Charlie was kept at the hospital for a week to help maintain and improve her health. She was then diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome because of how dependent she was on the drug and soon taken from her mother into foster homes so she could be properly taken care of. Charlie still has obstacles to overcome, but is finally off methadone and getting better each day. Methadone is not the only substance that can take over a baby’s life, anything that is harmful to the human body is even more dangerous to a baby.  

Babies have no control over what is given to them whether it is good or bad and since they are the newest members of this generation, it is a shame to allow them to live in pain for their first moments of life.

Everyone knows that drugs and alcohol are bad for people and especially babies. Unfortunately, that does not stop them from using drugs and alcohol. It is very difficult to get off of an addiction, but imagine what it is like for babies, to refrain from an addiction. They have depended on it for their whole life and when they are finally born, they are forced into treatment care.

Withdrawal in the Womb

The abuse of drugs is obviously an irresponsible decision in our society today and abusing drugs while pregnant is hazardous and reckless. Now babies are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, also known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, discovered by Dr. Stephen W. Patrick who describes the syndrome’s effects, ¨The babies are born at a smaller weight, have a hard time breathing, eating, and are more short-tempered than other babies. Their hospital cost is more expensive versus any other baby and caring for them is a more complex procedure.¨ Even though these are all short-term effects before and after the baby is born, these effects make the baby’s life a whole lot stressful and unpleasant as they try to cope with the pain in their first few days of life.[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]   Abusing drugs while pregnant is hazardous and reckless [/perfectpullquote]

Another study of withdrawal in babies is explained by the US National Library of Medicine, with the authors Ostrea EM Jr, Chavez CJ, and Strauss ME who state, ¨The signs of withdrawal in infants include, abnormal central nervous system, tremors, sneezing, frequent high pitched crying, with stuffy noses, uncontrolled sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea.¨ These symptoms may seem relatively normal to some people, but these are little babies who experience this and should not have to, they should be able to learn and enjoy life while they are healthy. Abusing drugs while pregnant is simply hazardous and reckless.

Here is a video about babies on drugs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG73PH7PF60

Attacked by Addiction

Drugs are not the only way babies can become addicted. Alcohol during pregnancy can affect babies in significant ways and can cause ¨Fetal Alcohol Syndrome,” according to Stanford Children’s Health.

Not many people know the riskful dangers of alcohol for a baby and the long-term consequences that it produces.

The NICHD or the National Institute of Child Health Department shares some of the negative outcomes of alcohol consumption while pregnant: consuming alcohol during pregnancy can cause disorders in the physical appearance of a baby, learning and development issues throughout a baby’s life, and include problems with face structure and eye developments. These are very significant long-term consequences for a newborn, not only mental and physical healthwise but also with their social health when they grow up.

They would have to face the fears of going to school each day and being made fun of, due to what they look like or how they react or talk. They would have the constant struggle of trying to keep up with the other kids and would always be behind because their brain is just a little slower than everyone else’s.

Mothers Behind Bars

Pregnant mothers who misuse any type of substance including alcohol, tobacco, prescription or illegal drugs are linked to the “public health and criminal justice intervention,” claimed by Bureau of Justice Assistance.

“Substance-using pregnant women are subject to increased surveillance and may face arrest, prosecution, conviction, and child removal,” stated by, Banwell & Bammer, 2006.

According to an author, Rebecca Stone, risen concerns and issues on “fetal drug exposure” have given criminal justice systems a look at new laws from existing laws in order to seek a conclusion to put an end to pregnant women using substances during their pregnancies. These conclusions would consist of  “punishments” since substance abuse during pregnancy is considered child abuse in 20 states. A total of 36 states see this abuse as a crime while 24 of those states do not take any precautions or extreme measures in order to stop the mothers.

It is a complicated decision whether to tolerate this behavior or to let the states take this issue into their own hands. Either way, it is important to have some kind of safeguard for these babies as they are not always safe with their own mothers.

Placing these barriers for pregnant women “encourages” them to refrain from substance use, says Murphy & Rosenbaum, 1999, which will improve their maternal and fetal health. Most of these women have announced that they have delayed or avoided using due to these new laws of punishment.

Conclusion

From getting addicted, into withdrawal, experiencing painful effects and acquiring long-term effects, a baby cannot handle all of that.  That is why it is important to take care of yourself and be aware of the actions you make so that a baby does not have to take your place.  It is crucial that babies come into this world healthy and happy so we can live healthy and happy lives too.

With all that can happen to a baby using drugs and alcohol, the most important thing to do is to just protect and look out for your children.

Here is another video on statistics of these babies:

According to reporter Lorie Johnson, prescription drug abuse had increasingly quadrupled in the past decade due to the addictive “painkillers” which have difficult withdrawal symptoms.

Dr. Stephen W. Patrick, M.D. at the University of Michigan Health System reviews billing records for hospitals nationwide and discovered that the number of addicted mothers during delivery time increased five times as much as the last.

Approximately four out of five babies born into Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome are placed into a State Medicaid program paid by taxpayers.

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