thank you to the person who responded to my post: WizardOfOz

November 4, 2014

This is WizardOfOz ... you are very welcome. :)

I decided to post a few things about this topic below, for other potentially interested readers.

Drug exposure is one of the topics I have researched in depth. I did this partly because when I adopted my kids, it was really hard to get real facts. Agencies don't want to get into this topic (liability issues?) and just tell you to go out and "do your research". Nice. I found that even physicians, e.g. pediatricians know surprisingly little about the topic.

These days, I am fostering babies, most of them drug exposed. My current foster son is two months old and has been exposed to prescription drugs (i.e. opiates). I don't see any behavioral issues yet, of course, but he could well develop issues in the future.

There is no way of knowing how much his mom drank during pregnancy. She claims that she did not. It cannot be tested via a drug test, so she may well have lied about being sober. Alcohol is BY FAR the most damaging drug. There is no safe amount during pregnancy, and it is very common among drug users. I read a study which found that about 80% of drug users drink. Further, many/most drug users are polydrug users. I believe that some of the behavioral issues that we see in drug exposed children may actually be fetal alcohol effects, not due to the drug itself.

In addition, drug addiction and a mental health diagnosis is the norm, not the exception. My foster son's mom and dad both appear to have mood disorders. (Makes sense because addicts tend to hang out with other addicts, who may also have mental health issues). Mental health issues have a genetic link so again, some of the behavioral issues that we see in drug exposed children may be associated with budding mental health issues.

It may well be correct to state that there is no correlation between prenatal drug use and behavioral issues later on if considered IN ISOLATION, i.e. if the effects of drinking and of mental health concerns have properly been "subtracted" (in research lingo this is called "controlled for").

However, that scenario is more an academic exercise and does not reflect reality. In reality, most drug users consume alcohol, do other drugs and may also have mental health issues.

Having said that, early intervention and properly addressing issues as they come up can make a big difference. There is a positive outlook. :flower: Very useful information and experiences on this topic can be found in the "Foster Care and Adoption" sub forum.

I do not think that the agency is doing a great service telling clients that there is no connection between prenatal drug use and later behavioral issues. Actually - I find this misleading. :mad: The agency would better serve clients by being upfront instead of whitewashing, and referring them to appropriate resources, to allow their clients to make a proper informed decision and prepare them adequately.