Child Development

In the world today, there are babies born everyday to drug addict mothers. The majority of these babies did not receive prenatal care, along with the mothers who usually do not seek medical care either. These babies are less fortunate from conception. A woman that is addicted to drugs is obviously an unfit mother.

The babies born to these women are less fortunate from conception. Most of the women who find out they are pregnant, continue to use drugs. They become afraid to seek any type of prenatal care. This fear is because they feel that a doctor will report them to police, or child protective services and they will be punished. The women that carry the babies to full term, ultimately give birth to them, and leave the hospitals with no consequence. They go home, and continue to use drugs, and the one that suffers out of the ordeal, is the little baby. The baby may be born with a physical deformity, mentally retarded, or even still born. Since the above can not be prevented, another form of action should be taken against these women to prevent these from occurring again.

Some people feel these women should be imprisoned for this, others don't. These women may not be able to just give up there addictions. They may have been addicts for years, and feel that they are unable to survive without it. Prison may be to harsh of a punishment for a first time "offender." The first time a drug addict woman gives birth to a baby, she should be given an option. The first being, give up the child, and go home. The second, that she go to a rehabilitation program, and the child go to a place where it can be given the proper care until the mother is able to take care of the child.

If the women decided to give up the child and go home, no action would be taken against her as long as the child lives. If the child were to die due to her recklessness, then she would be charged with killing the child. If the women were to go on her way, then come back again giving birth to another child, and still on drugs, then she should be charged with child abuse. One time should be forgiven, due to the mother not being able to control her habits, but the second time she should be arrested and tried for child abuse.

If the mother chose the second child, there would be a whole other course of action. While the mother is in a state facility, or a private practice, if she can afford one, the child will be given to someone who will be able to