Prosecuting mothers of children born with problems due to the mothers Term Paper

Prosecuting mothers of children born with problems due to the mothers substance abuse during pregnancy - Term Paper Example In this regard, ingested psychoactive substances such as drugs have the ability of inducing dependence just like other forms of addictive behavior such as gambling. Due to the ambiguity of this term, medical practitioners and researchers regard addiction as a human behavior that motivated by emotions, ranging from craving to compulsion, continued use in spite of the known adverse effects and that result to a person losing control (Henry and Ting, 2008). In reference to drug use, American Psychological Association uses substance use disorders as a collective term for substance abuse and dependence (APA, 1994). Under dependence, APA (1994) identifies impaired control over using a substance as an important component. This implies a combination of behavioral, cognitive and psychological symptoms that indicate continuous use of the substance in spite of the resulting health problems cause by it (Henry, and Ting, 2008). Substance use in the society is widespread and one of the major areas concern is its effect on pregnant women. Chiang and Loretta (1996) noted that substance abuse in women is common to those struggling with poverty, homelessness, mental illness violence and trauma. In United States, SAMHSA (2009) reports that pregnant women are more likely to engage in substance abuse than their non-pregnant counterparts in the same age bracket. According to SAMHSA (2009), 22% of pregnant women reported using cocaine compared to 17% of those who were not pregnant. The rate of substance abuse such as amphetamines and marijuana in pregnant women exceed that of non-pregnant women. According to SAMHSA (2009), 21% of pregnant women used amphetamines compared to 13% of women who were not pregnant. Moreover, 17% of pregnant women admitted to using marijuana as their drug of choice compared to 13 % of those who were not pregnant. In addition, 18% pregnant women are likely to seek medical attention on drug related problems compared to 31% of their pregnant counterparts (SAMHS A, 2009). Substance abuse among pregnant women varies with age and race in the United States. For instance, white women are more likely to smoke and use tobacco related products compared to the blacks and Hispanic women (SAMHSA, 2009). An average of 25.7% of pregnant women aged from 15-25 smoke cigarettes compared with 10.6% of their pregnant counterparts aged from 26-44 years (SAMHSA, 2009). This pattern is reflected in alcohol use among the pregnant women, whereby younger pregnant women have higher prevalence rate compared to their older counterparts. However, alcohol use among pregnant women is lower compared to their non-pregnant counterparts in the United States. In addition, most pregnant women use more than one type of drugs (SAMHSA, 2009). According to MCFD (2003), one of the leading causes of mental, psychological and physical impairments in children is use of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other illegal drugs by the pregnant mothers. Different drugs have diverse h ealth complications to the unborn child, and MCFD (2003), notes that alcohol is one of the most notorious drugs that cause the severe health complications. Substance use during pregnancy causes premature birth, in addition short term and long-term impairments. However, the effects depend on several factors, including the health status of the mother, the quantity and the type of the drug that