"CRACK BABIES": DEVELOPMENT, CHARACTERISTICS, OUTCOMES, & IMPLICATIONS
This research examines the syndrome of so-called "crack babies." The examination focuses on the development this condition, the characteristics of these subjects in both their infancy and later childhood, social outcomes for these subjects, and the implications of the "crack babies" syndrome for social work.
This researcher served as a drug and alcohol counselor for pregnant women with addicted fetuses for a period approximating one-year. This experience led to the selection of the "crack babies" syndrome as the focus for this research.
Development of the "Crack Babies" Syndrome
The "Crack Baby Syndrome" is characterized by newborn infants who are immediately identified by the delivering physician as being prenatally exposed to substance abuse. Thus, the term, "Crack Baby" actually can refer to infants who are exposed to toxic substances other than cocaine. Infants exposed to drugs during the prenatal stage of development have been found to typically have been exposed to many types of narcotics simultaneously (Calhoon, 1996). Thus, Neuspiel (1993) concluded that: "à problems detected in à cocaine exposed children should not be simplistically attributed to the drug, since many other risk factors may be present, such as exposure to tobacco smoke, lead, poor housing, limited nutrition, and other health and social problems" (p. 407). Kearney (1995) reported that some of the adverse physiologic outcomes associated with "crack babies" actually may be attributable to the use by pregnant women of other drugs, especially nicotine, concurrently with cocaine use. Although crack (cocaine) has only been available only since 1986, substance addicted infants are not a new phenomenon (Calhoon, 1996).
Overall, the number of drug exposed babies born in the United States approximate 500,000 per year. Up to one-third of these infants are "crack babies" (Ostrea...