Crack Babies Essay, Research Paper

David Hester

Iris Barbour

English 111

June 23, 2000

Mothers are Responsible for Crack Babies

Drugs have been a lasting problem for the American society. Not just teenagers, but also pregnant women use drugs heavily. To unborn children mothers taking drugs are harmful. In all instances mothers are be responsible for crack babies. The mother is responsible for her faults. This problem has been looked over, but it is important in its entirety. The crack babies are truly sick. The mother of a crack baby never has been held responsible for endangering her child?s life. Also there is a lasting problem with the crack babies being labeled in school and in society. This problem is not to be over looked, and mothers are responsible for their child because drug use is their choice.

Crack babies are truly sick. A crack baby is often times one born prematurely with low gestational birth weight. According to (Turner) the Neonate Addiction is no more than a display of patterns of both excitability and lethargy, appear to be more stressed, and fail to follow certain stimuli, such as rattle or bell, compared to non-exposed infants. This Neonate Neurological Syndrome is a syndrome in newborns characterized by abnormal sleep patterns, tremors, poor feeding, irritability, occasional seizures, and an increased risk or incident of sudden infant death syndrome. Also small head circumferences, Low birth weight from premature birth like baby James who was born at a weight of three and a half pounds. Also difficulty eating which can harm the children and deprive them of getting the nourishment they need. This leads to sleeping disorders plus other problems (UNL). After words this child is usually addicted to the drug and goes through withdrawal. Then in the rest of the life of the child the kid is a slow learner. All in all medically speaking a crack baby is really sick. Since this is infact true mothers have to be held responsible.

The mother of crack babies has never been held responsible for their children?s well being. Well as it stands now there are no laws for the mothers of crack babies to be held responsible for their children. But there are bills trying to get through but as it stands no one has been ever brought up on charges for anything. Even when new testing has help resolve confusion about infants born to women who use crack during pregnancy (Turner). This is more than enough evidence to bring a mother up on charges. Not to mention that crack produces excitable, stressed infants but have cause hemorrhages lesions and brain damage. Plus the fact that babies fails certain stimuli such as a rattle or a bell, compared to non-exposed infants. Crack alcohol and marijuana can cause all of these symptoms but, the main reason is that these are drugs and they are putting the unborn child in danger of not only of these symptoms but also Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. With all this evidences if there was a law she would be brought up on charges but does she get the death penalty.

Does a mother that has been prosecuted and found guilty for endangering her child?s life or murder. Still as I stated before there are no laws against mothers and using drugs. Well even if there were a death penalty for this crime, the mother is not going to get it be cause women only constitute 1.5% of the total death row population (DPIC). It is just odd that a female that is found guilty for the same crime, as a male will not get either the same sentence or the death penalty. America has a way to show bias for crimes. There can be a way to change this if the sentences in America were unbiased.

In conclusion mothers can be held responsible for their child?s well being. This is a serious subject and cannot be just over looked. These babies are truly sick as infants. They have to go through withdrawal and, are faced with being stressed. For this the mother is be responsible. She has put her child at risk of death. This is to be punishable by death because severity of the charge. From my perspective the mothers that choose to put her baby in danger of death should be punished and be in danger of death.