NCJ Number
166040
Date Published
1997
Length
121 pages
Annotation
This volume examines research findings about the relationship between cocaine abuse during pregnancy and the impacts on the infant, as well as the media coverage of issues related to what were called crack babies and the resulting legislation that served to criminalize drug use during pregnancy.
Abstract
The text is intended for use by researchers, academics, health care providers, and mental and health and legal professionals. It is also designed to be a supplementary text for courses in criminal justice, corrections, policing, drug/alcohol studies, psychology, public health, and nursing. An introductory chapter provides background information about cocaine and crack and offers general insights and research findings on drug abuse among women. The second chapter addresses the myths and misconceptions about crack babies, as well as the ways that some of the early research on prenatal cocaine abuse served to generalize and mislabel the effects of cocaine exposure. The third chapter discusses the effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on a women's pregnancy, her developing fetus, the infant, and the child. The final chapter examines the criminal and civil actions that have been filed against pregnant drug abusers, the constitutionality of punitive government intervention, and the consequences of these actions on public policy and maternal drug use. List of cases, subject index, name index, and 233 references