Written Communications
Specific Aims: Effects of Crack Cocaine Addiction on Pregnant Women and Their Child
Background Information:
Drug addiction is a very serious issue that needs more research. Cocaine is one of the oldest drugs known to man. Pure cocaine was first extracted from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, during the mid-19th century. In the early 1900s, it became the main stimulant drug used in most of the tonics that were developed to treat a wide variety of illnesses. This is a powerfully addictive stimulant, and is derived from coca leaves, and this drug has been abused for thousands of years, even by pregnant women. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. It is important to see what side effects and harm it has on the mother and baby, with this knowledge we will have a better understanding of treating these women and get them off drugs before they further harm themselves or their babies. Crack Cocaine's worst damage to the fetus is its effect on the brain. It causes the brains of both the mother and the fetus to experience the typical surge of dopamine. Nearly five percent of pregnant women use one or more addictive substances and there are nearly 750,000 cocaine-exposed pregnancies a year. For this reason, we have decided our goal is to understand why mothers can remain addicted to crack cocaine during pregnancy, how we can stop it, and how we can have healthier babies in the future. This background and the remaining information can be found with the Specific Aims link.
