Biological markers and social differentiation: crack babies and the construction of the dangerous mother.
Crack mothers-particularly African American and Latina women-have been constructed as maternal villains who actively and permanently damage their offspring. Many women have been arrested or lost parental rights to their children because of child neglect charges. Despite this panic, recent medical and legal research indicates that reports of damage to the fetus have been greatly exaggerated. This article examines the ongoing questions in medical publications about crack babies. The authors connect the search for biological markers of cocaine use during pregnancy to a new cultural conception of a bio-underclass. The conclusion considers medical developments and controversies in the broader context of class and racial divisions and reproductive politics in the United States.
Litt
J
J
Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011, USA. jlitt@iastate.edu
McNeil
M
M
D001294:Attitude to Health; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D011057:Politics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014481:United States
D016578:Crack Cocaine