Crack Cocaine Exposure in Children

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s crack babies hit the American scene as one more devastating outcome of  the crack cocaine explosion.  There were a lot of hypotheses about what society could expect in the future from these children.   It was theorized that infants born to crack addicted mothers were to be a scourge on society and social programs. It was said that these babies were possibly going to be retarded mentally as well as physically and suffer from many behavior problems. It is found that this not actually the case. Babies that are born to crack abusing mothers do suffer from certain symptoms and anyone smoking crack during pregnancy needs to think twice.  However, these children can be helped and have the possibility of growing up and leading a normal life.

Symptoms of Infants Exposed to Crack

Studies do show however that babies born with cocaine in their bloodstream, stay in the hospital on average for at least one day longer than their non-cocaine exposed counterparts. The hospital costs associated with these children are often at least a couple thousand dollars more than that of other babies.  These children are also usually more irritable for several weeks after birth and often have a hard time sleeping. They often have low birth weight and may be born prematurely. It is hard to say if the low birth weight is due to exposure to cocaine or lack of prenatal care and nutrition in the mother during the pregnancy.

It is noted that fetal alcohol syndrome babies have many more permanent mental and physical problems stemming directly from alcohol exposure in utero. However cocaine exposed babies do suffer often from low Apgar scores with a smaller than normal head circumference and a low birth weight. Cocaine impairs the growth of the brain which is often why the circumference of the head is often smaller. Cognitive and attention skills in these children are often impaired perhaps from effects on the prefrontal cortex of the brain. These babies do not do well in highly stimulating environments and need light touches when handled. This may make it seem that they dislike touch and may give their caregiver the impression that they would do better to not be held as often but research indicates that this is not the case. They also are more likely to suffer from urinary tract defects.

Also after birth these children may have jerky limb movements, may startle easily and also may appear to have an aversion to being held. Often times children born to crack addicted mothers should be tested for HIV and hepatitis since their mothers may be using intravenously or prostituting and may have acquired either one of these diseases.

Mothers who smoke crack during pregnancy may sometimes also give birth to a stillborn baby or have a spontaneous abortion. The mother may also suffer from “abruptio placenta” a premature separation of the placenta from the uterus that endangers the fetus. Their babies may also be hyper or hypo active in the womb.

Post Natal Care For Crack Babies

It is shown that in some studies if given the proper postnatal care that babies born exposed to cocaine can grow up to lead normal and fulfilled lives. Unfortunately however the mothers to these babies often continue to smoke crack after the birth of their children. The children who stay with their biological mothers are often neglected and or abused. They often suffer from a failure to thrive associated with not be given enough attention as a baby. Also children born addicted to crack are often irritable and startle easily. They often times are quite difficult to deal with. If the care giver remembers that the child is suffering from symptoms due to his or her exposure to cocaine in the womb it often makes it an easier situation to deal with. Unfortunately these children are often born to parents that are still addicts and have very little patience to give the proper care to their babies.

In some cases the best hope for a crack baby may be adoption or foster care. Unfortunately many people are fearful of adopting a “crack baby”. Because of the stereotypes that these kids are labeled with they often spend years in orphanages where they often get the physical care they need but not the emotional nurturing that is essential for their developing psyches. Due to some behavioral problems they may suffer from, some of them may go on a sort of musical chairs journey bouncing from one foster home to the next. They may grow up fearful of the world around them. There was one child who was found by children services that had a devastating fear of fires. It was learned that his mother often left him in abandoned buildings while she went to smoke crack. One of these buildings had caught on fire with the child still inside and if he would not have been rescued he would have died.  Other children have been found attempting to cross busy highways while their mothers where elsewhere completely oblivious to the fact that their children were putting their lives at risk.

Environmental Influences

Although the initial scare of the nineteen eighties and early nineties that children born to crack addicted mothers were going to grow up to be terribly mentally and physically disfigured individuals has been put to rest there, there are many challenges these children still face. They may suffer from some mental and physical abnormalities but mostly they face a world where their best interests are not taken into account. They often are beaten by parents who do not have the patience or wherewithal to give the proper love and nurturing care that children deserve and most of all need. They are looked upon as just an annoyance that is getting in the way of the parents number one desire which is to get high. Some of these kids are beaten to death. Some mothers have even sold their children for more crack. Some women who sell their bodies sexually for crack, also sell their children’s bodies for crack, when they get to be of an old enough age to be physically desirable.

What kind of trust in humanity are these kids even capable of developing after being subjected to such cruel and inhumane treatment? Is there enough therapy in the world to heal this kind of emotional scarring? It seems quite doubtful. A child pedaling crack on the urban streets is a sure indicator that home life is not good.  This situation is more damaging than any defects crack babies might be born with. These unfortunate individuals are going to grow up where a criminal mentality is the norm without a helping hand teaching them otherwise.

A Solution is Drug Treatment

The only hope is to get these mothers into drug treatment centers hopefully before they give birth.  There are treatment centers around like Narconon that have a lot of experience with crack dependency.

If these women refuse treatment or cannot quit no matter how much treatment they receive then the children deserve to be adopted by loving individuals who will give them the proper care they need.   And in return, according to reports from women who have adopted crack babies, there is an abundance of love in return.