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The Effects of Substance Abuse on the Development of
Children: Educational Implications
What's All the Hype?
By: Colleen Meade
The effect of substance abuse on growing fetuses has been avidly researched
in recent years. The birth of the Thalidomide babies in the early 1960
awakened the world to the fact that drugs ingested by the mother can severely
impact the development of the growing baby. Thalidomide was widely prescribed
to relieve morning sickness in pregnant women. It was the use of Thalidomide
that affected "nearly 12,000 infants in 46 countries" and caused defective
"limbs, eyes, ears, genitals, and internal organs" (Bethune, 2001). The
birth of these children soon became known as "history's greatest medical
disaster" (Bethune, 2001).
To study the effects of substance abuse, or misuse, during pregnancy,
one must determine exactly what substances will be included. While much
uproar has formulated around the use of illegal drugs during pregnancy,
one cannot eliminate the effects of legal drugs such as, nicotine, alcohol,
caffeine, and over-the-counter and prescription medications. Additionally,
in order to determine the long-term effects of substance abuse on children,
one must include the study of other environmental issues. The development
of children impacted by maternal substance use does "not stem from prenatal
exposure alone, but rather are the result of a constellation of biological,
psychosocial, and environmental circumstances" (Poulsen, 1999). While
the child has most likely incurred damage due to the intake of substances
by the mother, the proper support and assistance will help to further
the development of the child to maximize his abilities within the limitations
of his condition.
This paper seeks to describe the possible effects of substance abuse
in gestation, the environmental effects from typical substance-abusive
households, and the implications in the field of education. It also seeks
to outline curricular adaptations, which can be made to appropriately
educate children affected by these issues.
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