Imagine, somewhere in a hospital a very sick newborn is being treated in the ICU, and another one is being mourned by his mother. Many things can go wrong. Could it have been stopped? The reality is, that while in the womb, some babies are exposed to fetal abuse. A fetus is “a human being….in the later stages of development before it is born.” (Meriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary) Fetal abuse is abusing a baby that is still in the womb. This type of abuse has been identified with abortion for a long time, but now it goes beyond the scope of simply terminating a pregnancy. Unfortunately, babies today are more susceptible to fetal abuse than ever before. Today, abuse to babies in the womb can be thought of as deadly disease that has created multiple different strands of mutations.
It is difficult to imagine the words “drug” and “baby” in the same sentence. Some pregnant mothers expose their babies to teratogens, toxic substances such as marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine that cause malformation of the fetus. (Ciccarelli and White 315) Teratogens have redefined fetal abuse and taken it to another level. “What many people don’t know is that when a pregnant woman drinks beer, wine, or liquor, or does drugs …show more content…
When pregnant mothers live with abusive partners their fetuses are put in serious danger. In the book, Empowering Survivors of Abuse, Jaqueline C. Campbell gives perspective into how the physical abuse correlates to fetal abuse. Violence is a significant contributor to the maternal harm of a fetus. She states that some abusive dads often become stressed and hit the mother to intentionally cause a miscarriage. (86) A blow to the abdomen can potentially distress and even kill the fetus. (83) The hits can cause the babies to suffer fetal fractures or even death. These women’s inability to leave their abusive partners has led to unrepairable lifelong damage to their unborn
It is difficult to imagine the words “drug” and “baby” in the same sentence. Some pregnant mothers expose their babies to teratogens, toxic substances such as marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine that cause malformation of the fetus. (Ciccarelli and White 315) Teratogens have redefined fetal abuse and taken it to another level. “What many people don’t know is that when a pregnant woman drinks beer, wine, or liquor, or does drugs …show more content…
When pregnant mothers live with abusive partners their fetuses are put in serious danger. In the book, Empowering Survivors of Abuse, Jaqueline C. Campbell gives perspective into how the physical abuse correlates to fetal abuse. Violence is a significant contributor to the maternal harm of a fetus. She states that some abusive dads often become stressed and hit the mother to intentionally cause a miscarriage. (86) A blow to the abdomen can potentially distress and even kill the fetus. (83) The hits can cause the babies to suffer fetal fractures or even death. These women’s inability to leave their abusive partners has led to unrepairable lifelong damage to their unborn