Twenty-eight days.

Well here is another little blurb that I wrote for my psychology class, that I you guys might like to read. I would love to here your opinions on the matter! 6 more days until I get a week to get caught up on all my studying and papers!! I would call it spring break, but nursing students don't get such a thing. :/

Twenty-eight days, that's how long it has been since your little poppy seed has been conceived. He or she looks nothing like a baby, but just a mere poppy seed. But little do most know that your poppy seed is starting to produce its brain, nerves, lungs, spinal cord, and many other very important organs, and cells. Switching gears a little, most people in the US would like to lose a few pounds, me included, and most of us know that it would make us healthier, and even give us the chance to live a little longer. I can tell you the side effects and long term effects of obesity, but am I working towards changing it? Not directly, which is what can happen to pregnant mothers, who are addicted to illegal drugs. Sometimes, I feel that if I were to get a push, or even shove, in the right direction, I would lose weight. That is how it is for people addicted to illegal drugs. They have fat camps for overweight people, and rehab for drug addicts. The difference between obese pregnant women, and pregnant women that are addicted to an illegal drug is that illegal drugs have a direct impact on a babies life, potentially causing that baby to be stillborn or not to survive after birth. I believe that some women are not meant to mother children, and that if they are endangering the welfare of their unborn child, that they should be taken to a location where they are properly cared for while the baby is developing, and once the child is born, the mother is released, and they have to be able to prove that they will be a fit mother, and not assume the role of drug addict again.

    Marijuana increases the carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which in turn reduces the oxygen supply to the baby, which increases the chance of behavioral and learning issues, developmental delays, premature births, low birth weights, and miscarriage. Cocaine and methamphetamine use in early pregnancy increases the potential of a miscarriage. Later on in a pregnancy cocaine and methamphetamine use can cause placenta abruption, which causes bleeding, preterm birth, and fetal death. Also 25% of these babies that are exposed to cocaine and methamphetamine during the last trimester of pregnancy are born addicted to the drug, these babies will experience withdrawal symptoms after birth, which include, tremors, sleeplessness, muscle spasms, and feeding problems. Heroin use during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, breathing issues, low blood sugar, intracranial hemorrhage, infant death, and withdrawal symptoms after birth. Withdrawal symptoms of heroin include; irritability, convulsions, diarrhea, fever, sleep abnormalities, and joint stiffness. PCP and LSD usage during pregnancy causes low birth weight, poor muscle control, brain damage, and withdrawal symptoms after birth which include; lethargy and tremors. (Jeffers)

    Now that the side effects, and long term effects are listed out above, you will see that all of the drugs that were researched have the potential to cause either miscarriage, or infant death. The definition of involuntary manslaughter is negligently causing the death of another human being.(Legal Information Institute) A mother knowing the effects of using illegal drugs during pregnancy and proceeding to use the drugs during pregnancy, and causing the death of her unborn, or newly born baby should be punished by law. “'Abuse or neglect' means a threat to a child's health or welfare by physical, mental, or emotional injury or impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation, deprivation of essential needs, or lack of protection from these, or failure to ensure compliance with school attendance requirements.” (Ann. Stat. Tit. 22, § 4002) That is the definition of child abuse, defined by the Maine State Child Welfare Law. If a mother is abusing illegal drugs during pregnancy, they are threatening a child health or welfare, physically, or mentally.(Child Welfare Information Gateway) Which means that the unborn, or born child is not safe in their custody. It is not logistical to prematurely induce labor, so that the state can assume custody of the child, the only other reasonable solution to the problem, is to incarcerate the mother until the baby is born. The mother then can leave incarceration, but not with the child. The mother needs to be able to prove to authorities, that she is no longer using illegal drugs, and that she is now fit to raise and provide for her child. After the mother has proven the above to authorities, the mother is subject to random well-being checks on the child, and the mother would have to pass a random bi-monthly drug test, until the child is 18 years of age.

    Believe it or not, there are some people that do not believe in the government “intruding” in on their lives, and telling them what they can and cannot do as a pregnant mother. Some people believe that these drugs, especially marijuana, because it is a herbal supplement, can't harm their unborn child, and incarcerating the mother will have other negative impacts on the child. For example, stress can increase heart rate and blood pressure, just like the illegal drugs listed in the second paragraph. Although, it might be true that stress can do some of the same things on your body, stress is most definitely not addictive, and will not cause withdrawal symptoms for the newborn baby after birth.

    Newborns are unable to protect and defend themselves, and have shown to be very fragile pre birth, and post birth. Every little chemical that a child is exposed to can have some effect on the child, and some women do not have the adequate self control to be able to care for themselves while their little poppy seed is growing and maturing. That is why incarceration for mothers who are addicted to illegal drugs is necessary.

                                                             References

Child Welfare Information Gateway (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/define.pdf

Jeffers, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/illegaldrugs.html

                                  Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved   from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/manslaughter