Prenatally-Exposed Children: A Case Study

Sood, B., Delaney-Black, V., Covington, C., Nordstrom-Klee, B., Ager, J., Templin, T., . . . Sokol, R. J. (2001). Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Behavior at Age 6 to 7 Years: I. Dose-Response Effect. Pediatrics, 108(2). doi:10.1542/peds.108.2.e34

The author, Ernest L. Thayer, of "Casey at the Bat," uses humor to describe Casey's experiences. He uses humor in the form of rhyming. He also uses humor in the form of figurative language. A good bit of humor is shown through these forms of humor. The humor is described very well by the author.

In the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell and the poem “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning, the authors use characterization and imagery to convey that the desire for power can drive man to psychotic actions.

The quality of life for these children is unfortunately not the best. They can have limb, facial, and organ defects, and will have stunted physical growth throughout young adult life. Prenatal exposure can also have a negative effect on motor skills, especially fine motor tasks such as writing and balancing. The disabilities depend on the mother and her drinking habits. The children of heavy drinkers while pregnant, have many more developmental problems than of those whose mother was a light drinker. The most common problems among these children with alcohol exposure are with balance, coordination, and how they are able to play and handle a ball.

Forty-three adolecence aged 13 to 18, 28 of them having a history of prenatal alcohol exposure, participated in this study. The type of developmental research that this article presents is a cross-sectional study because the study is done in a short amount of time so the results can get published quicker and also because the adolecence that are being studied are different ages. Data is collected from each participant and is being studied at the time being, they are not going back years later to collect more data from each of the participants. The study is not done over a long amount of time and the data is not being collected at multiple intervals throughout their lives, therefore it is not longitudinal, it is a cross-sectional study.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a preventable disorder that affects many youth in our society. It is a cognitive disorder that affects their lives in many different ways such as relationships, education, employment, financially and socially. Olson, Feldman, Streissguth, Sampson, and Brookstein (1998) describe “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) as a serious developmental disability caused by the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the growing fetus. FAS are defined by a characteristic pattern of prenatal and/or post-natal growth deficiency, specific cranio facial malformations and variable central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction”. One of the most debilitating affects of the disorder is that it is an invisible disorder if not detected

would not be able to live a normal life for the rest of its life. The

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

Alcohol, even at small portions, have a great effect on an infant. Toddlers become uncontrollable and hostile towards parents due to the consumption of liquor. In particular, mothers who drank while pregnant have increased the risk of having a daughter who has a mental illness. Drinking during pregnancy causes impairment to vital organs and causes permanent health problems to the soon to be born

The exposure to substance abuse can occur in the early stages of childhood, according to research at least 10% of newborns are exposed to the abuse (Gruber & Taylor, 2006). Research shows that there is correlation between substance abuse and both child neglect and maltreatment (Mendoza, 2013). Not only does substance abuse dull the parent’s ability to adequately care for their child, but it can lead to problems such as violence, neglect, and physical abuse in the family home (Crosson-Tower, 2013). According to Crosson-Tower (2013) 12% of the children live with a parent or guardian who abuses drugs or alcohol. The issue of dependency on drugs and alcohol has continued to increase in adults, adolescents, and even children (Crosson-Tower, 2013).

Fathers who used alcohol before or after the conception are linked with children’s later learning and memory problems, hyperactivity, and difficulties dealing with stress.

The newly reauthorized CAPTA introduced a new category of “safe care plan” and “referral” of infants with potential exposure of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This is a progressive stride considering early identification and assistance of infants at risk of such harm. According to the 2011/13 CDC statistics 1 in 10 pregnant mother report alcohol use. Despite CDS study did not

Substance abuse during pregnancy can have a negative force on the health and wellness of not only the fetus, but that of the mother. The harmful effects of medications, alcohol and illegal drugs on an unborn child can be devastating and can have significant consequences to its use. Sometimes the effects can be faced and treated, and other times the outcome is a lifelong challenge. During the prenatal period, it is important that new mothers are informed of the different types of abuse, how they may affect the fetus, and the adverse conditions their child may be faced with before and after birth.

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Children can be subjected to the negative effects of parental substance use in a variety of different ways. For example, substance use during pregancy can cause detrimental outcomes for newborn infants by placing them at a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), being born with birth defects, developing behavioral and developmental delays, being born premature, etc. Children with addicted parents, are placed at a higher risk of: lacking appropriate supervision; lacking basic needs such as: food, clothing, housing, and medical care; exposure to violence; developing substance abuse issues themselves.