Ashley Forston

Policy Paper

Pregnacy

Becoming a mother is probably the greatest joy and experience a woman can have in her

life. Pregnancy is a time of great change. If you are pregnant, or thinking about having a baby, it

is important to consider the types of drugs you or your partner might be taking that may have an

effect on you or your pregnancy, or both. Teenage pregnancy is something that you have to go

through for yourself, but everything you do reflects not only you but your child too.

A baby’s well-being all depends on its mother, and what she does, connections in the

baby's brain don't get made properly when alcohol is present. FAS children have many physical,

mental, and behavioral problems and, as they get older, they often have trouble with learning,

attention, memory, and problem solving. It’s harder for these kids to get and education because

they need more development with their learning skills. They have to get help with developing

that skill. FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth retardation, and central

nervous system problems. FAS is an irreversible, lifelong condition that affects every aspect of a

child’s life and the lives of the child’s family; however, FAS is 100% preventable - if a woman

does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant. If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol but her child

does not have all the symptoms of FAS, it is possible that her child may be born with alcohol-

related neurodevelopmental disabilities (ARND). Children with ARND may demonstrate

learning and behavioral problems caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. When a pregnant

woman drinks alcohol, so does her fetus, because alcohol crosses the placenta freely. There is no
safe dose of alcohol in pregnancy, and there does not appear to be a safe period during pregnancy

for drinking. (“Alcohol”).

There are many effects on unborn children from the usage of drugs and alcohol during

the pregnancy. Miscarriage and stillbirths are two of the most common. Stillbirth is often harder

for the parents and other family members, because it a lot further into the pregnancy and they are

starting to get attached to that baby. Stillbirth can pose threats to the mother’s health if the don’t

deliver immediately. So women wait to deliver on their on and that is usually 2 weeks after they

have learned that the fetus has died. After 24 weeks, if the baby is born and doesn't survive, it's

known as a stillbirth and not a miscarriage. (“Stillbirth”). A miscarriage occurs when a

pregnancy ends without obvious cause before the fetus is capable of surviving, typically

corresponding to the 20th to 22nd week. Miscarriage is the most common complication of

pregnancy. An vaginal bleeding other than spotting, during early pregnancy is considered to be a

threatened miscarriage. Cramping is another common sign of a possible miscarriage. The

cramping occurs because the uterus attempts to push out the pregnancy tissue. If a pregnant

woman experiences both bleeding and cramping the possibility of miscarriage is more likely than

if only one of these symptoms is present. If a woman experiences any sign of impending

miscarriage, she should be examined by a practitioner. The doctor or nurse will perform a pelvic

exam to check if the cervix is closed as it should be. If the cervix is open, miscarriage is

inevitable and nothing can preserve the pregnancy. Symptoms of an inevitable miscarriage may

include dull relentless or sharp intermittent pain in the lower abdomen or back. Bleeding may be

heavy. Clotted material and tissue (the placenta and embryo) may pass from the vagina.
A situation in which only some of the products in the uterus have been expelled is called an

incomplete miscarriage. Pain and bleeding may continue and become severe. An incomplete

miscarriage requires medical attention

(“Miscarriage”).

Even when babies are born, complications can exist. Children can have things like FAS

or low birth weights, or other health issues that may progress as they get older. Children with

low birth weights might develop hypertension as they get older. They should get their blood

pressure checked regularly. As they grow older weight shouldn’t be a problem they will start

gaining weight just as a regular healthy child. Babies born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces

(2,500 grams) are considered low birth weight. Low birth weight babies are at increased risk for

serious health problems as newborns, lasting disabilities and even death (“Low Birth Weights”).

Premature births are common also. The risks of complications increase the earlier the

baby is born. A complication that a premature newborn experiences will be treated in the

neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A premature birth gives a baby less time to develop and

mature in the womb. The result is an increased risk of various medical and developmental

problems, including trouble breathing and bleeding in the brain. If you go into labor too early,

your doctor may try to delay your baby's birth. Even if premature birth is inevitable, a few extra

days in the womb can promote significant development. A baby has a better chance at surviving

if it stays in the womb longer(“Premature Births”). At 6 months, the baby should be weighing

about 1.5 pounds and its wrinkled skin will start to smooth out as it put on baby fat. The baby’s

head is also getting bigger, and the brain growth is very rapid. At 7 months, your baby can open

and close his or her eyes and probably see what’s around it. The baby should be getting ready for

birth by turning its head upside down. At 8 months, his or her layers of fat are starting to fill
them out, making them rounder and their lungs are fully developed. All of the organs are fully

developed and in place.

All complications, don’t just come from drug intakes, some come from health issues like

diabetes. Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby's head is delivered through the vagina, but his

shoulders get stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone. This creates risks for both mother and baby.

Dystocia means slow or difficult labor or delivery. This happens when the baby is unusually

large and women with diabetes are at risk for having large babies. A pregnant woman may be at

risk for shoulder dystocia if:Her baby is very large. (But in most cases of shoulder dystocia, the

baby's weight is normal. And for most very large babies, shoulder dystocia doesn't occur.) She

has diabetes, She is pregnant with more than one baby, She is obese, She delivers after the

baby's due date.,She has had shoulder dystocia or a very large baby during a past delivery.

Complications after the delivery may be: injury to the nervous of the shoulders, broken

arm or collarbone, or lack of oxygen. Most of these complications for the baby go away in 6 to

12 months. Complications for the mother is heavy bleeding, tearing of the uterus, vagina and

cervix and bruising of the bladder (“Shoulder Dystocia”).

When you are pregnant, it is important that you watch what you put into your body.

Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother. Studies have

shown that consumption of illegal drugs during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, low birth-

weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even maternal death. Marijuana

crosses the placenta to your baby. Marijuana, like cigarette smoke, contains toxins that keep your

baby from getting the proper supply of oxygen that he or she needs to grow. Cocaine crosses the
placenta and enters your baby's circulation. Many infants whose mother's used Cocaine while

pregnant are born addicted to Cocaine. The withdrawal symptoms exhibited by cocaine-addicted

infants include: "irritability, tremulousness, course tremors, feeding difficulties, tachypnea,

diarrhea, vomiting, high-pitched crying, and seizures. The elimination of cocaine is slower in a

fetus than in an adult. This means that cocaine remains in the baby's body much longer than it

does in your body. Heroin is a very addictive drug that crosses the placenta to the baby. Because

this drug is so addictive, the unborn baby can become dependent on the drug. Methamphetamine

is chemically related to amphetamine, which causes the heart rate of the mother and baby to

increase(“Drugs”).

Sudden Infant death syndrome also known as (SIDS) is a risk due to smoking, and

drinking during pregnancy. Most deaths due to SIDS occur between 2 and 4 months of age.

Studies show that African-American infants are twice as likely and Native American infants are

about three times more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants. SIDS is not contagious or

hereditary. SIDS is suspected when a previously healthy infant, usually younger than 6 months,

is found dead in bed. SIDS is rare during the first month of life. Even though the specific cause

(or causes) of SIDS remains unknown, scientific efforts have eliminated various misleading

theories. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old, and claims the

lives of about 2,500 each year in the United States. SIDS increases during cold weather, and

More boys than girls fall victim to SIDS (“SIDS”).

Solutions to keep this from happening to newborns in the future are to have teens be

aware of what happens when you do drugs or drink alcohol during your pregnancy. Classes

should be taught in school about these things. They have classes to make children aware of
sexual transmitted diseases and the phases of the reproduction cycle and the parts of the body. So

they need to have classes where they explain how to take care of yourself and your baby when

you get pregnant. Lots of teenagers are getting pregnant while they are still in high school that’s

why these classes need to be taught in school so that teen girls will be aware. Lots of drug use

starts during your high school years also. They also need to have public service announcements

on the television just like they do about the effects cigarette smoking and 2nd hand smoking has

on other people. Well they can have those about the effects that alcohol and drug use have on

innocent lives of unborn children. Many people don’t realize what they are doing and they also

don’t realize that these children didn’t ask to be brought into this world. Therefore there needs to

be something to stop this world wide problem that doesn’t seem to be coming to an end. More

and More children are dying due to complications at birth, and more and more children are being

born with birth defects.

Proper care during pregnancy is eating right, not missing any doctor’s appointments, and

exercising. There are lots of things that you can do to so that you can have a successful

pregnancy. Mothers that are expecting need to take prenatal vitamins because they make up for

any nutritional deficiencies in the mother’s diet. Pregnant women need Folic acid, calcium and

iron. Folic acid can reduce your risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and

spinal cord, called the "neural tube." Calcium during pregnancy can prevent a new mother from

losing her own bone density as the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth. Iron helps both the

mother and baby's blood carry oxygen.

During pregnancy Doctor’s appointments are extremely vital. Each week the doctors

make sure that the mother and her baby are healthy and making sure that her baby is functioning

properly. If the mother is poor or in need there are many programs that help women with their
children. For insistence the WIC program which stands for women, infants and children. WIC is

a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food and other services

free of charge. WIC’s goal is to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women, new moms, and

kids under age 5 healthy. You can use WIC to get free healthy food and formula at over 900

authorized grocery stores and pharmacies statewide. WIC foods are chosen because they contain

the nutrients that women, infants and children need during pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy,

and early childhood. WIC foods include milk, eggs, cereal, fruit juice, cheese, infant formula,

carrots, peanut butter, dried beans/peas, and tuna. There are lots of other programs that can help

needy families during their pregnancy. If a child has health issues and the mother cannot afford a

doctor they should try applying for Medicaid. Medicaid can make it possible for you to get the

care that you need so that you can get healthy – and stay healthy. Medicaid is available only to

certain low-income individuals and families who fit into an eligibility group that is recognized by

federal and state law. Medicaid does not pay money to you; instead, it sends payments directly to

your health care providers.