Prenatal Cocaine Issue in the USA Essay
The article clarifies some issues regarding prenatal cocaine. This author was informed by the understanding that in the past, pregnant women who used cocaine predisposed their unborn kids to health risks (Terranella par. 1). Specifically, the author wanted to clarify the issue by explaining how the issue has been misunderstood in American society (Terranella par. 2). The author has also tried to link some signs previously associated with prenatal cocaine to other issues such as poverty and other drugs like nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol.Prenatal Cocaine Issue in the USA Essay
Therefore according to this article, recent scientific exploration on the impacts of cocaine during pregnancy indicates that there is no tangible proof that exposure to prenatal cocaine is connected or associated with harmful developmental impacts in children below the age of six. He indicates that pregnant women should avoid any drugs as they have the potential to impose negative effects on the health of children. Using research information, the author indicates that these findings do not mean that pregnant women have been given the green light to start taking prenatal cocaine (Terranella par. 11).Prenatal Cocaine Issue in the USA Essay
The type of drug, in this case, is prenatal cocaine and the affected population is the unborn kids who get through their mothers (Terranella 1). In fact, according to the article, there many developmental problems associated with prenatal cocaine on babies and some of these problems include growth problems, language complications, mental ability challenges, motor skills challenges and finally behavioral problems (Terranella par. 3).
The article is interesting in the sense that it contains information that dispels some misperceptions regarding the use of prenatal cocaine on the unborn children. In the past, as the number of women using cocaine increased particularly in the 1990s, the affected children were described the media as ‘ruined,’ meaning that these children were not able to love and even learn (Terranella par. 5). The other interesting thing is how the author indicates that according to recent studies, poverty is more harmful or destructive in the lives of these kids than exposure to prenatal cocaine. This is interesting as I have never heard that poverty leads to problems such as language complications, mental ability challenges, motor skills challenges, and finally, behavioral problems in unborn children. If that were so, it would mean that most kids who are born to poor parents would be having these problems.
The other interesting thing is how the author has treated the issue of cocaine casually. Even though it may not be having some negative effects on kids as earlier thought, cocaine is still a hard drug, and as such it has unenthusiastic impacts both on the lives of the child and mother (Terranella par. 3). Another interesting thing is that when the author in his article is not able to find the differences in terms of effects between cocaine and other drugs such as nicotine on the unborn child. That is, both drugs affect the functioning of the vessels supplying blood in the placenta.Prenatal Cocaine Issue in the USA Essay
The main reason why I chose this article is that it contains information that has been in the mainstream for decades. More so, the way the author has prosecuted and presented the issue. Most important, the author does not rely on or give his personal opinion regarding the issue but attributes all his finding to past researches which makes the information presented more credible.
Works Cited
Terranella, Scott. Prenatal Cocaine not so bad on a child. 2013. Web.Prenatal Cocaine Issue in the USA Essay