Psychology TERATOGEN DONE Essay

Submitted By kamrapko12
Words: 641
Pages: 3
Open Document
Effects of Teratogens on Fetuses : Heroin

Kamryn Rapko and Jaiden Wiscinski

Psychology, Period 3
St. Joseph High School
Mr. Zurevinski
March 11 , 2015
HEROIN- Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is derived from the morphine alkaloid found is an opium and is roughly 2-3 times more potent. A highly addictive drug, heroin exhibits euphoric ("rush"), anxiolytic and analgesic central nervous system properties. (Definition: “http://www.drugs.com/illicit/heroin.html )

1. Research a teratogen and its effects both long and short term, during prenatal development on the brain and body after birth.
Short term effects of heroin on the fetus include excessive crying, fever, arability, seizures, slow weight gain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, excessive sucking, and sweating.
Long term effects of heroin on the fetus include tremors, liver disease, infection of the heart lining, skin sores, congestive lungs, high risk of aids, NAS (neonatal abstinence syndrome), blotchy skin, head circumference, SIDS( Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and premature birth.
2. Has there been an increase or decrease in popularity of heroin use during pregnancy?
Heroin use in pregnancy is uncommon and it is estimated that only about 4% of women in America are addicted to an illicit drug such as heroin.
3. What steps can parents take during prenatal development as well as after the fetus’s birth to lessen the effects of heroin?
For prenatal babies, there is no treatment other than having the mom stop using heroin. As for after birth, there are two significant treatments the baby can have. The first recommended treatment is detox which is a process in which the teratogen, in this case heroin, is removed from the baby. Detox helps reduce and relieve withdrawal symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, seizures, sweating and active weight loss. The second most recommended treatment is called the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMS). The MSS treatment is a comprehensive treatment program that involves prescribing methadone as an alternative to heroin. The methadone is cheap and acts as heroin without the side effects. One of the major upsides of methadone is that after regular practice of MMS, the baby does not become dependent on the drug.
4. Once the fetus is born, what help is there for the parents whose child suffers from the effects of heroin?
After the birth of the fetus there are many different organizations that provide help and guidance for parents and children who use drugs. In Canada the two popular organizations the Portage’s Mother and Child Program in Quebec, and the Canada Alcohol and Drug Rehab Program which has programs all over Canada. The Canada Alcohol and Drug Rehab program also provides a toll free number that is available all the
Show More

Related Documents: Psychology TERATOGEN DONE Essay

Essay on Awesome: Developmental Psychology and Piaja Cognitive Development

Lifespan Developmental Psychology Ch. 1 Development through Lifespan * Constantly change and evolve * Some consistency, some things stay the same * Scientific = based on research, believe in data and research, young science * Applied = more applied, prevention and intervention, social policy, government programs, education reform * Interdisciplinary = don’t hold all knowledge, all areas can inform the study, open to the complexities of real life, better understanding…

Words 1831 - Pages 8

Essay on Brain and Social Learning Theory

PSYC 224 – Spring 2015 Exam #1 Essay Questions 1. What aspect of behaviorism made it attractive to critics of the psychoanalytic perspective? How did Piaget’s theory respond to a major limitation of behaviorism? Psychoanalytic theory emphasized on the individual's unique life. However the theory was criticized because many of its ideas were too vague to be measured or tested for. They mainly focused on case studies. Behaviorism studied directly observable behaviors through stimuli and responses…

Words 3629 - Pages 15

Essay about Psychology Workbook

I. INTRODUCTION Objective I.1 Define psychology: the science of behavior and mental processes. |Margin Learning Question(s) (if applicable) |Page(s) | |None | | Key Terms Psychology: the science of behavior and mental processes. Exercises 1. Put a check mark…

Words 22851 - Pages 92