The use of certain drugs during a pregnancy has been linked to causing damage to the central nervous system in the developing fetus. Exposure to alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamines not only leads to poor brain development, but also defects in physical features. These chemical substances that cause harm to the fetus are known as teratogens. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) has been “extensively documented since the 1970s” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 379). From these studies, “much has been learned about the significant and permanent changes caused by the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the developing fetus” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 387). This study examines those effects and which drugs are the ones to blame.
Multiple studies were conducted using different types of neuroimaging and three types of abused drugs. For example, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine was used to grasp a “better understanding of the way in which prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse impact the structure, function, and metabolism of the developing human brain” (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 376). This study incorporated a control and variable group. The control group involved those who were unexposed to any of the drugs. The variable group included those who had been exposed to the drug being tested. Although several studies were conducted, the data from each was unanimous. Each reported the presence of “metabolic abnormalities in brains of children with prenatal exposure” to these three types of abused drugs (Roussotte, Soderberg, & Sowell, 2010, p. 393). The conclusion from these studies suggested that there is a relationship between brain and behavior and commonly abused drugs during the time of a pregnancy.
From this article, I learned that the research process involves many different factors. A control and variable group are always necessary, but other aspects could also cause some outcomes. For example, when testing the effects of cocaine use during pregnancy the data is debatable. Other factors not related to the use of the drug are skewing the report. Although this is a weak part of the study, there were strong aspects. The data recorded from the FAS study is very accurate and proves that alcohol is to blame for any abnormalities that may occur in the fetus.
Overall, this research has important findings. Too many women continue to smoke or drink alcohol while they are pregnant believing their actions will cause no harm. However, according to this study, negative effects can occur from continuing use of certain drugs during a pregnancy.
Roussotte F, Soderberg L, Sowell E. Structural, Metabolic, and Functional Brain Abnormalities as a Result of Prenatal Exposure to Drugs of Abuse: Evidence from Neuroimaging. Neuropsychology Review [serial online]. December 2010;20(4):376-397. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 24, 2011.
"The data recorded from the FAS study is very accurate and proves that alcohol is to blame for any abnormalities that may occur in the fetus."
ReplyDeleteJust curious about what metabolic differences were measured? How do you know the data recorded is accurate? The authors probably demonstrate a very strong association between prenatal alcohol exposure and adverse effects in the infants, but proof is a tough word. There are certainly a lot of controlled animal studies that show strong causal relationships with brain abnormalities and alcohol exposure, but with humans it is possible that another factor may have been the ultimate determinant: This could include poor maternal nutrition, viral infections, birth trauma, etc.
This is a great start though and sounds like an interesting article that will give you a number of different paths to follow in your research.