Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Ashley, who is pregnant for the first time, does not consider her smoking and weekly drinking night with girls as harmful to the pregnancy. However, research and studies conducted on alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking during pregnancies show significant effects as a result of these behaviors. Alcohol and smoke from tobacco are passed directly from the mother to the child through the umbilical cord. Among other things, these products are harmful to a developing fetus and could result in life-long challenges to the child and even affect the birth outcome. From cognitive issues to birth of pre-term babies, to heart and lung problems. Long-life problems such as wheezing and Asthma among children in the United States have been reported to be caused by prenatal smoking. However, several strategies such as re-education and counseling could be put in place in society and at national levels to reduce the number of pregnancies exposed to prenatal smoking and alcohol consumption.

Section 1

Ashley believes that her drinking and smoking behavior during her pregnancy is not harmful; however, evidence and research shows that drinking alcohol and smoking of tobacco could have severe effects on the unborn child. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no known amount of safe alcohol to use during pregnancy or a safe type of alcohol, as all classes are equally harmful, including wines. Alcohol drinking during pregnancies could result in the development of fetus disabilities, commonly known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Therefore the only way a mother could prevent these disorders from developing in their unborn child is by avoiding drinking during pregnancy.

Ashley has a weekly girls’ night out where she drinks margaritas, and wine, meaning that this alcohol that gets into her bloodstream goes direct to the child’s system through the umbilical cord. Besides the effects that could develop on the developing fetus, other issues such as miscarriages and stillbirths could occur as a result of consuming alcohol during pregnancy. However, the case of Ashley is not isolated, “about one in nine pregnant women engage in drinking in the United States with a third of pregnant women reporting alcohol consumption being involved in binge drinking” (Denny, Acero, Naimi & Kim, 2019). Some of these women who engage in drinking while a pregnant end to assume that alcohol will not be harmful to the child forgetting that the child’s organs and body systems are not developed enough to handle alcohol.

Some of the characteristics portrayed by children with FASDs include small head size, shorter than average height, babies with poor coordination, hyperactive behavior, poor memory, delayed speech and language, and learning disabilities. “These babies may also develop vision and hearing problems, intellectual disabilities, problems with heart, kidney or bones, sleep and sucking problems and develop poor reasoning and judgment skills” (CDC, 2017). Some of these problems witnessed in developing babies and children are taken as typical disabilities, but most of them are as a result of the mother’s behaviors during pregnancy. “Issues such as mental health problems and cognitive issues among children have been associated with drinking exceeding four days a week” (Sayal et al., 2009). Therefore, besides the fact that Ashley is not engaged in binge drinking, the risk of disabilities in her developing fetus remains high and could only be prevented if she stopped drinking.

Besides the effects on the developing fetus, alcohol consumption during pregnancy also affects the birth outcome. According to a study on the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study in Japan, “consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is significantly positively related with birth of pre-term babies” (Miyake, Tanaka, Okubo, Sasaki & Arakawa, 2014). Therefore, besides many other adverse effects alcohol consumption could have on Ashley’s baby, even if he or she is born, there is also the risk of having a pre-term baby.

Ashley also smokes tobacco and believes it is not harmful to the pregnancy; however, just as alcohol tobacco affects the health of the child before and after he or she is born. The smoke inhaled during pregnancy also goes directly to the system of the unborn baby and bearing in mind the effects tobacco has on adults. It is unimaginable to the damage it does to an unborn child. According to the CDC, “smoking during pregnancy is associated with causing damage to the unborn baby, especially in the lungs and the brains” (CDC, 2017). There is no small amount of tobacco smoking that is safe during pregnancy. Therefore one should not smoke while pregnant for them to protect the health of their unborn child. One in two smokers is said to die from smoking-related diseases meaning that smoking is very harmful to a human body. However, this is the case of an adult with all developed organs and immune systems, therefore exposing an unborn fetus to tobacco smoking not only endangers his life during pregnancy but also after if he or she makes it past birth. Tobacco smoking is addictive, and Ashley may find it very difficult to stop smoking now that she is pregnant, but the only way for her to protect the child is by quitting smoking as soon as she can.

Due to the components found in tobacco while smoking, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, smoking deprives the fetus of oxygen necessary for development, and this could result in stillbirth and miscarriages. Smoking also increases the fetus’s heart rates resulting in discomforts, and this hampers the development of the unborn child. According to research conducted by the American journal of preventive medicine, “smoking is a preventable factor that causes ectopic pregnancy, placental abruption, and placenta previa” (Castles, Adams, Melvin, Kelsch, & Boulton, 1999). There are so many things that could go wrong during pregnancy due to smoking that could result in extended life problems to the child or even loss of life in both, for instance, in cases of ectopic pregnancy. Second-hand smoking is also as harmful to the unborn child as smoking is, therefore, if it is detrimental to expose the child to a smoker, then the mother should not be smoking as well for the safety of the child.

In the United States, over 8% of the total newborns are low birth weights, and the numbers keep rising for various factors such as prenatal smoking among mothers. According to the CDC, “one in every five children born from smoking mothers have low birth weight” (CDC, 2017). The birth outcomes are also affected by smoking during pregnancy, meaning that the child born with low birth weight requires special attention, and combined with the challenges in lung development of the child due to smoking, the child is exposed to more risk. “Prenatal smoking is associated with impairment of utero airway development and altering of elastic properties of the lungs that could result in wheezing when the child is growing up” (GILLILAND, LI, & PETERS, 2001). Wheezing and Asthma is prevalent in so many children in the United States, and some of the reasons resulting in this are the exposure of children to smoke before, during, and after birth.

Section 2

If Ashley was my real-life friend or relative, then there are several steps that i could take to prevent her from drinking and smoking but, at the same time, ensure she does not feel cut-off from the life she was used to doing. First, Ashey needs to understand that drinking and smoking are harmful to the baby she is carrying regardless of the amount. Therefore, i would present Ashley with the existing research in the effects of alcohol consumption and smoking on the health of an unborn child hoping that this changes her behavior. Ashley also needs to see the doctor explain the issues of drinking and smoking from a medical perspective and be given steps and means she needs to take care of the health of her unborn child.

Ashley attends girls’ night out where she drinks wine; however, she does not need to stop going out with friends; the only thing she needs to do is stop drinking. Therefore, I, as a friend, among others, should be working to help her take care of herself and her pregnancy better. For instance, we could start drinking fruit juices and water when she is around, making her remain healthy but have fun at the same time. Ashley needs to eat and drink healthy, exercise, and getting prepared for the experience of becoming a mother that is coming. Therefore, i could be helping her activity, eat healthy foods, attend prenatal check-ups all in ensuring that she keeps her baby safe.

The issue of drinking and smoking is not only a personal problem but a societal, state, or national issue that needs to be addressed in all these levels. In society, a woman that drinks or smokes, especially when pregnant, is considered irresponsible and reckless, and mostly, they are left to do whatever they want. However, some of them are battling mental health issues and addiction problems and need our help and not our judgment. Therefore, in society, i would start a program to help pregnant women dealing with drug and substance abuse while at the same time re-educating the members of the community against despising them. If women such as Ashley received support in their pregnancy journey that deviates them from drinking and smoking,  then they would stop engaging in activities that could harm their unborn babies.

In national or state levels, then there should be re-education, support, and medical programs to facilitate women such as Ashley during pregnancy. Some pregnant ladies drink alcohol or smoke out of ignorance that it is not going to harm the baby; however, if they learned of the effects of their behavior, then probably they may abstain from these activities. Facilitating for counseling and medical programs aimed at protecting the health of the baby could help in dealing with the issue of alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy. Mandatory screening of alcohol during prenatal visits should be put in place to reduce the number of alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Setting stations in health facilities to deal with women with drinking and smoking could also be an intervention towards reducing the number of pregnancies exposed to alcohol and tobacco.