The Effects Of Substance Abuse On Pregnant Women Essay

When most people think of a crack baby, they get a different image than I do. When I was in my senior year of high school, I had to shadow at different medical facilities. I never thought when I got rotated to the nursery in a hospital it would change my life forever. My shadowing experience persuaded me to change my choice of major to nursing. I learned how substance abuse in pregnant women can affect an infant. I realized that I would have a direct influence on people’s lives. My experience shadowing in a hospital and seeing a real â€Å"crack baby† helped me realize that I wanted to change my major to Nursing, made me aware of substance abuse in pregnant women and how it affects babies, and it help me see that I wanted to help individuals directly and hands on. It all started one Tuesday morning in Jackson Hospital of Montgomery, Al. When I began shadowing the nurse whom I was assigned to, Debra, she convinced me that nursing would be a good career for me. I was transferred to her because the other nurses had me bored to death filling out charts in the stark white hospital, and I needed something to report at the end of the week. The nurse explained to me that nursing is a career that can fit my lifestyle, and that I could still be able to have a family. Family is a value that is important to me. When I am of age I want to make sure that I can have a job that can support my lifestyle so that I won’t have to be away from my family all the time. Nursing is an upper middle classShow MoreRelatedMany Women Across The World Cause Complications To Their1657 Words   |  7 PagesMany women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into why women abuse, substance such as stress, depression, and mental issues. More treatmentRead MoreSubstance Abuse During Pregnancy?952 Words   |  4 Pages Substance abuse during pregnancy can range in variation from prescription drugs to non-prescription drugs to even alcohol. Substance abuse is more common during pregnancy than most people realize. This type of abuse is more common amongst pregnant women. Most the time substance abuse is hard to find in women. Pregnant women who go through substance abuse usually don’t seek any medical help. If an expecting mother uses any kind of drug it can result in many complications. Some complications thatRead MoreHow Substance Abuse Negatively Affects The Baby While During1328 Words   |  6 PagesHow substance abuse negatively affects the baby while during a woman’s pregnancy. Many women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into whyRead MoreWhy Pregnant Substance Abuse Should Be Treated As A Major Issue1441 Words   |  6 Pagesreasons why pregnant substance abuse should be treated as a major issue. The effects of substance abuse on the mother, fetus, and the overall pregnancy can range from none to extremely harmful. Women who use drugs during their pregnancy commonly give birth to â€Å"crack babies† or â€Å"drug babies†. These babies can have developmental disabilities or other birth defects. The mother may give birth to a premature infant, underweight infant, or even have a stillbor n birth. The drug use of a pregnant woman hasRead MoreAddicted To Drugs Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesAddicted to Drugs: Should we Charge Mothers with Child Abuse? In the United States we have been facing an epidemic with opioid use and addiction. According to The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) have increased from 7 cases per 1,000 admissions in 2004 to 27 cases per 1,000 admissions in 2013. NAS is a syndrome that happens when a baby is exposed to drugs in the womb. To go alongRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion924 Words   |  4 Pages Substance abuse with pregnant women is a situation that is being ignored in the United States. There are many pregnant woman in the United States who are abusing illegal substances without any prosecution. Allowing these women to do so causes major defects on the babies and the mothers get no serious punishment for their actions. This issue is similar to the argument on whether abortion should be legal or not, because both situations can kill the baby while it’s still in the womb . Women who useRead MoreShould a Pregnanat Woman Be Punished for Exposing Her Fetus to Risk?1071 Words   |  5 PagesShould a pregnant woman be punished for exposing her fetus to risk? The question about whether pregnant women are liable for subjecting their unborn children to risk has yet to be properly addressed. One state South Carolina has been on the forefront of this issue. The Supreme Court in South Carolina in 1997 in the case Whitner vs. South Carolina decided that pregnant women who exposed their viable fetuses may be persecuted under the state child abuse laws. This action was specifically targetingRead MorePrevention of Alcohol Abuse Among Pregnant Women1306 Words   |  5 PagesPrevention of Alcohol abuse among pregnant women Introduction The drug abuse menace has been indicated to be one of the leading factors that negatively affect people at whatever stage of life right from the fetus stage to the fully grown baby and the adulthood. Of greater interest in this case is the persistent and ever increasing abuse of alcohol among other substances among pregnant women and teenagers in particular. There are repercussions that come with the alcohol abuse and there is thereforeRead MoreThe Issue Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ( Nas ) Is A Vital Issue Concerning Premature Babies1522 Words   |  7 Pages(Care is close by). While many women are continuing the use of drugs during pregnancy, NAS is a growing issue that many health officials and professionals are working to diminish. NAS can cause issues with many individuals that come in contact with it including the babies, their mothers, and their nurses and doctors. Drugs Abused NAS is caused from the use of illicit drugs or substances during a mother’s pregnancy. In a recent study done to show the actuality of women using illicit drugs it was discoveredRead MoreHow to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder1030 Words   |  5 Pagestelevision or while driving on the highway seeing advertisements of billboards. Alcohol is a dependent substance for many people in society because not only is it a way to release one’s stress, but it is also associated to have a good time with. Attending a holiday party at a family member’s house or a party to celebrate a birthday, alcohol is always involved. Individuals who abuse alcohol who are pregnant women are risking their unborn child with many abnormalities and lifelong implications. According to