Infants

Drug abuse in infants can range from maternal substance abuse to children themselves abusing drugs. Unfortunately, some women use or abuse drugs and alcohol before they know they are pregnant, as well as after they know they are pregnant due to an addiction. Obviously, before a child is born he/she cannot provide consent. Social Service Workers, in the case of prenatal substance abuse, would talk to the mother about her drug/alcohol use and the result it could have on the baby. Children abusing drugs would talk to Social Service Workers directly about their drug use. Consent from the children and parents/guardians would be involved as these children would not be able to provide consent until age 16.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) can occur in newborn babies when a woman uses or abuses psychoactive drugs such as stimulants and depressants during pregnancy. If a mother takes drugs like cocaine or heroin while she is pregnant as a result of an addiction, the baby is at risk of becoming addicted also. If the baby is born with a dependency for the drug(s), withdrawal symptoms may occur.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is another risk to growing fetus, because like drugs, alcohol reaches the fetus and affects development. “No ‘safe’ level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been established.” (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2012). Any amount can be harmful, but considerable consumption of alcohol, like binge drinking, by the mother increases the risks. As mentioned, FAS can occur in babies whose mothers drank any amount of alcohol at any time during pregnancy; however, “alcohol use appears to be the most harmful during the first 3 months of pregnancy.” (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2012).

As we can see in the chart above, teenagers are approximately 5-10% more likely to use alcohol and other substances during pregnancy than any other age group. It is possible that this is because typically teenagers are less informed about the risks of substance use during pregnancy. This information is important for SSWs to be aware of when creating treatment programs and when dealing with clients. Anyone in any age group could struggle with drug use and abuse, but it is important that we are aware of who is affected and that we provide the help to the individuals who are struggling. If more mothers were aware of how their substance use is affecting their babies, they could possibly be less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Unfortunately, like some pregnant women, children experience all types of pain and therefore resort to using and abusing drugs. According to our Drugs Behavior and Society text, "availability of drugs, psychological distress, family problems, stress, poverty, and family history of drug use are the top factors seen as the main cause of drug problems by Canadians." (Hart, 2012). Pain from damaged relationships within families, specifically broken relationships between children and their parents/guardians, can lead to children feeling hungry, fearful and depressed. These children do not see their full potential, and they may seek out relationships from people who cannot provide them with the love and support they need; such as gang members, drug dealers/abusers, P.I.M.P’s, etc. Street children or homeless children experience the most severe form of this pain. These children are more likely to cope with lack of connections through drugs and destructive relationships, than children who live at home and have healthy relationships. In 1975 Elton John and Bernie Taupin released the Rock of the Westies album, which featured a song titled Street Kids. Below is the first part of the song:

“They must have had the whole thing planned There must have been a hundred If we make a stand I think we'll be outnumbered If I'd had the chance Then I could understand Why I'm a juvenile delinquent In an East End gang And if you think you've seen gasoline burning in my eyes Don't be alarmed, tell yourself it's good to be, it's good to be alive.”

As we saw in the CBC video we watched in class, most of the children in the town of Davis Inlet live like street kids. They don’t see their own potential or remind themselves how good it is to be alive. These children attempt suicide by abusing inhalants (such as gasoline or glues) because these substances are more readily available and less expensive than other drugs. In the CBC video we saw the children of Davis Inlet admitting they had no desire to live. "'I want to sniff gasoline," says one child, "I want to kill myself.'" (CBC, 2012). According to Time Magazine, it is estimated that of the 360 children in Davis Inlet more than 10 per cent, some as young as five years old, are "problem sniffers" of gasoline. This could be due to the fact that sniffing is not illegal in Davis Inlet, so legally the police are not allowed to take away the inhalants.

The best course of action for any child using or abusing substances would be to see a Social Worker. As Social Service Workers we cannot force clients to accept our help, however we can provide our clients with the resources they need to change for the best. If treatment programs and relationship advice are available to individuals suffering from addiction and damaged relationships, Social Workers and Social Service Workers can provide a safe relationship, and they can work together with the client to come up with the best plan for that individual.