Pubdate: Mon, 02 Sep 2002
Source: Arizona Daily Star (AZ)
Copyright: 2002 Pulitzer Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23
Author: Barbara J. Brown

PRENATAL DRUG ABUSE LAWS ARE NEEDED

Re: the Aug. 24 article titled "Family, state failed crack baby."

This article should result in a long overdue public outcry to change the 
laws covering prenatal drug and alcohol abuse. How many infant lives will 
it take to create legislative action, which makes addicting an unborn child 
to drugs and alcohol a crime?

Babies born with cocaine in their systems are extremely damaged. Their 
nervous systems are greatly impaired, and they are obviously in tremendous 
pain, screaming, jerking and unable to be held or comforted by the nurses 
who care for them.

Their emotional, physical and intellectual processes become very 
unpredictable, causing lifelong problems for these poor helpless victims, 
if they live.

These infants are victims of child abuse, and the mother and father are 
responsible and should be held accountable. The cocaine mother has no 
constraints placed against her and is free to repeat the childbearing process.

Society may argue that the mother has rights, but what are the rights of 
these abused babies? Should a mother have the right to harm and inflict 
such a lifetime of abuse - if not death - on a poor helpless child at 
birth? Who will protect these infants, if not society and the state of 
Arizona? Let our candidates for governor and state legislature tell us what 
they will do to help these infant victims.

Barbara J. Brown, R.N., Ed.D.

Editor, Nursing Administration Quarterly
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom