Maternal Substance Abuse During Pregnancy

The choice to use drugs is just that—a choice. Pregnant women who make the conscientious decision to abuse substances shall realize that when they chose to use drugs, they assumed responsibility for the natural consequences and shall be held accountable for their own actions by law. It is fair to assume that the mother also made a choice to be sexually active, allowing the opportunity to become pregnant; and, regardless of whether or not she planned the pregnancy, she allowed the pregnancy to come to term. “Children, like all people, have the right to be free from having drugs introduced into their systems by others,” (Merrick, 1993). For the reason of choice and this reason, the rights to freedom, there shall be criminal penalties for mothers who give birth to substance-exposed infants. Janna Merrick (1993) accurately stated that, “pregnancy is unlike any other medical condition in that care must be provided simultaneously for both the woman and the fetus.” Because a fetus is unable to protect or fend for itself prior to birth, it becomes the mother's obligation to do so for their unborn child. Mother’s that are unable to properly care for their child in utero are clearly unfit mothers from the very start; and, adding any form of substance abuse to that mix only puts the child at greater risk for medical complications and suffering post delivery. If, as a society, we work to reduce the incidence of maternal substance abuse by prosecution, the benefit to both mothers and children are extraordinary, and the ability to decrease the need for continued medical care in society is substantial. Pregnant women are given the opportunity to invest in the health of their unborn child through the use of prenatal inputs, including prenatal care and nutrition, and by refraining from unhealthy behaviors such as drug usage, smoking, and