Crack babies are a media myth

[nancylebov]

The kids are growing up to be normal, but the stigma is costly.

Link found at geekpress.

Comments

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Very good article, which covers the story very well.

Anybody who works with kids already knew that for most of the kids, once you got them properly fed and stimulated normally, they would grow up okay.

Babies of diabetic mothers are at risk when they're first born. Babies of mothers with perinatal depression are at risk. Babies whose mothers were ill with a fever-producing disease at any time during the pregnancy are at risk. But, as with crack, the risk is offset by good nurturing . . . which the foster care system has trouble providing.

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realized there was still such a stigma. Some friends of my mother have four adopted children (all adopted out of foster care, rather than at birth). One has learning delays and other fairly severe problems as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure. Two had prenatal cocaine exposure but neither of them has any learning delays. In fact, one is a straight A student who wants to be a doctor. I've known for a long time that prenatal alcohol exposure was far more hazardous than prenatal drug exposure, but I hadn't realized the general perception was otherwise.