Last Updated on December 10, 2019 by Valarie Ward

Ask anyone how drug addiction affects pregnancy or infant care, and you’ll receive a slew of answers, all of which have one thing in common. Drug addiction affects both negatively. A recent NCBI study involving inner-city, low-income mothers in New Haven, Connecticut, delved deeper into the impact of drug addiction on infant care. The information gathered reveals just why the topic of infant care and drug addiction matters.

The Impact of Childbirth

The act of birthing a child does so much more than bring a new life into the world. While the arrival of a healthy baby boy or girl is by far the culmination of the event, the mother is set on a path of continuous change. Her entire lifestyle from daily activities to social encounters is set on a figurative rollercoaster as she attempts to acclimate to caring for an infant while also meeting her own physical and emotional needs.

Meanwhile, childbirth changes her mental life in dramatic ways. According to Psychology Today, “parenthood alters the [mother’s] neural system [by modifying] the connection between certain neurons that influence one another through a feedback loop in the brain.” These “remapping” changes influence the manner in which a mother reacts.

For example, when an infant cries, the cry activates components of a healthy mother’s neural circuitry. She responds to the baby by trying to soothe pain and discomfort. She picks the baby up, holds it close, rocks, and speaks softly or sings soothingly to it.

The Impact of Drug Addiction on Infant Care

The study conducted by NCBI included long-term therapies, which were conducted during regular in-home visits with mother’s suffering from substance abuse disorders. Some had been addicted to and used drugs before and during their pregnancy.

Mothers with substance abuse disorders were more likely to withdraw from their infant’s distress. They also gave shorter feedings. They were more likely to respond to their infant with higher rates of aggressive behavior, including physical intrusiveness.

In contrast to the above example, drug-addicted mothers reacted to an infant’s cries with avoidant behavior. Anxiety and frustration levels increased, leading to further drug consumption to regain control. As a result, the gratification of drug intake replaced the emotional reward of caregiving. Researchers identify this replacement as “false reward,” which short circuits neural connections between the parents and the child, thus compromising parenting.

Why Infant Care and Drug Addiction Matter

Much like the unwanted effects of alcoholism, one of the unwanted results of drug addiction is pregnancy, which is why understanding the impact of drug addiction on infant care is so crucial. Addiction can reshape the outcome of parenthood completely causing lasting trauma for both mother and child.

The results of the NCBI’s study indicate an erosion of the child / parent relationship when drug addiction is involved, and the addition of a low-income status only serves to increase this erosion. Addiction is costly, and it can propel the child and parent into even more stressful times as money becomes an additional source of anxiety and frustration.

It is imperative for mothers battling drug addiction to seek help. Only by ending the addiction will they begin to foster a better relationship with their child from both an infant care and parenting aspect.