Okay.  Eventhough I have worked with abused and neglected children for nearly 20 years, a headline about drunken breast feeding caught my attention.  Today in North Dakota, a mother pleaded guilty to child neglect due to breast feeding her baby while she was drunk.  When police responded to a domestic violence disturbance on April 13, they witnessed an intoxicated 26-year-old Stacey Anvarinia breast feeding her six-week-old baby.  The fact too few of us know is that the alcohol in the mother’s system can pass through her breast milk into her baby’s body.  Literally, the baby can experience some of the effects of the mother’s intoxication. 

As a counselor I have frequently worked with children who are experiencing the consequences of their mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy.  I have witnessed these children struggle with behavioral challenges and learning disabilities. I have witnessed the looks of discouragement on their faces when they realize they can’t do what their peers are doing.  I have witnessed the unjustice of innocent children paying the price for their parents’ reckless behavior.

I applaud any situation that draws attention to the fact that children pay the price when their mothers use alcohol during pregnancy and while breast feeding.  Maybe one day as a society, we will no longer tolerate prenatal substance abuse.  Maybe one day, we will value and protect the lives of the most vulnerable–our children. 

I’m praying for that day.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 11:01 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.