Drugs and Its Impact on Babies - Article Example

? Assignment Byline Drugs and Babies As medicine has continued to progress in the 20th and 21st centuries, more and more information has come to light in regards to how babies develop in the womb. Perhaps more importantly, pregnant women have come to learn just how their own actions can affect the overall development of their unborn children. Unfortunately, much of this information has been gathered from the study of babies who have born with severe problems due to their mother’s behaviors. One of the most detrimental behaviors to a baby’s health is the consumption of severe drugs like crack. Within the article entitled “Crack Babies: Here They Come Ready Or Not,” the author focuses on the impact of crack cocaine on a prenatal baby's brain development. The authors of this article, Elliot and Coker, utilize research from other sources in order to support the overall argument that babies exposed to crack cocaine are likely to develop severe birth defects which will impact their overall growth and development in later years(Elliot and Coker, 1991). The article cites a study by B. Udell entitled “Cocaine addiction in the neonate. Cocaine Babies” which states that babies with crack cocaine exposure in utero were “likely to be premature, weigh less, be shorter, and have head circumferences smaller than infants of drug-free mothers”(Udell, 1987). Ultimately, these types of birth defects contribute to lower academic achievement levels, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities(Elliot and Coker, 1991). Overall, the brain is severely affected by the use of substances such as crack cocaine while they are developing within the womb. This article utilizes a variety of other studies in order to support its overall argument that crack cocaine causes a myriad of developmental problems. The article ends with educational strategies that parents and teachers may look into when working with children that have birth defects due to crack cocaine exposure(Elliot and Coker, 1991). In particular, teachers have “developed techniques” such as verbal and non verbal signals and cues to handle the behavioral problems that these children often exhibit(Elliot and Coker, 1991). This article is particularly important in terms of its historical implications. Although it might be considered dated at over 20 years old, it was written during a time period when prenatal research was really in its early stages as technology made it possible to study babies in the beginning stages of their development. This article contributes to the understanding of prenatal development by collecting information from other research articles and studies in order to conclusively illustrate that a pregnant woman is inflicting serious damage upon their unborn child and their overall mental and physical development if they are taking drugs, specifically crack cocaine. The article cites a research article written by Barbara Kantrowitz entitled “The Crack Children” which states that “11 percent of all newborns have been exposed to drugs in utero”(Kantrowitz, 1990). Therefore, Elliot and Coker’s article and others like it are helpful in relaying scientific information to the masses in order to educate pregnant women on how their drug use will hurt their child’s immediate and future mental development. In an additional article entitled “Crack Babies Turn 5, and Schools Brace,” the author—Susan Chira—states that “the use of crack reached epidemic proportions in the mid-1980's”(Chira, 1990). Chira’s article as well as Elliot and Coker’s are important in gathering information as to how exactly this epidemic impacted the development of the babies that were born to mother’s who were addicted to and used crack-cocaine. Chira confirms Elliot and Coker’s claim that crack cocaine has a serious impact on these babies and their brains. Susan Chira lists a variety of problems that these children develop: “children suffer from seizures, cerebral palsy, or mental retardation… hyperactivity, sudden mood swings, extreme passivity, apparent lack of emotion, slow language acquisition or mild speech impairment”(Chira, 1990). Utilizing this information, Elliot and Coker are able to support their argument that a baby who is exposed to crack cocaine in the womb will experience mental development problems. In the end, Elliot and Coker’s article is based on scientific data and facts which makes it difficult to critique. Since this article was written during a time where “crack babies” were more common, the research that was performed on this particular topic would have been particularly extensive. The argument of a baby’s mental development being negatively impacted by drugs when they are in the womb is supported by the information gleaned from the other research article gathered by authors such as Chira, Udell, and Kantrowitz. There are a few limitations and implications which may be observed in this article. Although the article supports all of its claims with facts, statistics, and information from other studies/articles, the authors do not claim any independent research of their own. However, due to the fact that this particular topic was studied and researched extensively during this time period, there were plenty of resources available to Elliot and Coker which they were able to use to support their overall arguments. The time period may also be deemed to be a limitation as much has occurred within the medical community in the span of 20 years. However, the topic is narrow enough to ensure that the information is largely still accurate and helpful in understanding the mental development of infants while in the womb. In terms of the implications, the information provided within the article is a thorough overview of the impact of drug exposure on the mental development of babies. The simplicity of the overall article makes it easy for both educated and uneducated people to understand the important points which makes the information more easily accessible to a population where this type of situation may particularly apply. If the past is any indication, medicine will continue to evolve and change in order to address the issues that may exist at any given time. The fact that research has slowed down on this topic suggests that articles such as the one from Elliot and Coker have helped to educate people on the detrimental effects that drug use has on their unborn children. Of course, the problem will never go away as long as drugs exist, but having a basic understanding of this issue is important in ensuring that the number of children affected is much lower. References Chira, S. (1990). Crack babies turn 5, and schools brace. The New York Times, p Al. Elliot, K. T., & Coker, D. R. (1991). Crack babies: Here they come, ready of not. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 18(1), 60. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Kantrowitz, B. (1990). The crack children. Newsweek, 115, 6263. Udell, B.D. (1987). Cocaine addiction in the neonate. Cocaine Babies (pp. 87-105), Hearing before the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, U.S. House of Representatives, one Hundredth Congress, First Session. Read More