Ideally when a prospective adoptive couple or individual are planning on adopting, they are hoping to adopt a healthy baby or child. Often a couple won’t consider adopting a child whose birthmother used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. Let me make note, before going further, that using drugs and alcohol during pregnancy is wrong. However, it is an unfortunate reality that women do use drug and alcohol during pregnancy and if you decide to rule out a prenatally exposed baby you are ruling out a large portion of adoptable children.
In the past few decades long term research has been conducted and the results have varied widely. The research began in the 1970’s with research predicting negative results. The thought was that children would behave or develop abnormally if they mother used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. However, by 1993 the research was showing a wide variation in results that do not appear to be so bleak.
The Child Welfare League of America published in 2000 a book called “Adoption and Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure”. This book was compiled as result of the research on prenatally exposed children. It also provides information to prospective adoptive couples and professionals in the field. This book focuses on three questions:
1. What is the impact of drug and alcohol exposure on a child’s immediate health and well-being?
2. What are the long terms effects of children who are prenatally exposed to drugs and alcohol?
3. What role does a positive environment play in counteracting the exposure to drugs and alcohol during pregnancy?
While drug usage can adversely affect the fetus, it is important to understand some facts.
• Many studies on the negative effects of drug usage were conducted on animals.
• When studies have been done on humans it was difficult to determine if the findings were actually due to the drug use or if it was the environmental factors that were a contributing to problems that the child was having.
• Drugs and Alcohol can have varying effects depending on the frequency and amount of usage.
No one can know for sure the impact of prenatal drug and alcohol exposure on a child, just the same as no one can determine if a child will have developmental problems without the expectant mother using drugs or alcohol. What is important is that a couple or individual try to be open-minded and educate themselves:
• It is recommended that a couple sit with their physician or a pediatrician to ask questions about prenatally exposed children.
• If you are adopting through an agency the agency may be able to provide information and answer your questions.
• Borrow from your library or buy the book “Adoption and Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure”. You will find that it has a wealth of information