Drug addiction in pregnancy: the interface of science, emotion, and social policy.
The problem of drug addiction in pregnancy has been posed as a conflict between the rights of women and those of their fetuses. This paper presents a framework that incorporates emotion, identification, scientific research, and ethical issues as components to be used in establishing policy with respect to drug addicted pregnant women. Three approaches--voluntary treatment, involuntary treatment or incarceration, and maintaining of the status quo--are discussed with attention to class and economic aspects of women's lives and society's concern for fetal well-being. A model is proposed that addresses the needs of pregnant drug-addicted women and their fetuses, and that serves as an alternative to forced treatment or criminal prosecution.
Harrison
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, PA.
D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D026686:Beneficence; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D028663:Ethical Theory; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D035846:Law Enforcement; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D037841:Pregnant People; D035842:Research Subjects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States; D035141:Voluntary Programs; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*