I won’t go into all the details, but am looking for information about parenting a baby (boy) who has been exposed to cocaine in utero- pretty heavily during the first 5 months, and again just now in the 9th. the mom (who was mostly clean for months 5-8) sadly just relapsed. so i’m looking for resources and words of wisdom from those with experience parenting a cocaine exposed baby. She has 2 other children (age 7 and 15 months) who were also drug exposed and are developing typically, but I don’t really know the details and haven’t met them.
The information on the internet seems to be pretty conflicting. The baby is due mid-november.
Related posts:
I knew a women who parents
I knew a women who parents her step-grandchild that was worried about the same things as you. I have learned from her that cocaine exposed babies usually grow out of the drug by the age of 3 or so and usually have no ill affects after that. At least the child that I knew has no ill affects. Babies brains grow so fast and change so much that the only real risk to exposing them in utero to the drug is that the mother will not eat, physically do things that are harmful…etc. So when the babies that have been born addicted will also be very small, but all this can be overcome. Its just taking care of them during the first few years is very challanging. Cocaine is a very difficult addiction. I really hope that this womens family can help her, because its impossible to get better otherwise from this kind of addiction. I am just telling you what I learned from another mother who parents a child who was exposed to cocaine. Right now this expectant mother needs all the help she can get with kindness and understanding.
Call the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) at 866-626-6847 and speak with a teratology information specialist. http://www.otispregnancy.org
I have used them for two specific situations and have been able to provide really reliable scientific advice regarding drug exposure, for example “a baby exposed to X amount of substance X has a X% increase in risk for X, Y or Z. The general population has a X% risk with no exposure.”
I recommend the resource
I recommend the resource website of the Pediatric Interim Care Center in Washington. They are glad to answer these kinds of questions and be a resource to parents and prospective parents. You can contact them by email (picc@picc.net) or by phone during business hours (253-852-5253)