Infants at Risk Because of Breastmilk Demand
My cousin Christina recently gave birth to her first child, a little girl named Sadie, and yet she didn’t feel nearly as happy as the rest of us did. As a mother, Christina only wants what’s best for her child and I could see the guilt in her eyes when she looked at her daughter because she couldn’t give her baby what she knew was best. One of the most emotional and important elements of child birth and becoming a new mother is breastfeeding, and for those who can’t, it can be heartbreaking. Many women across the country are taking drastic measures to ensure that their infants receive breastmilk instead of formula. Christina had to make a choice just like other mothers who cannot breastfeed. Today,
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In a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants who were given milk contaminated with heroin were irritable, restless, not feeding well, and vomiting. Those who were given breastmilk with phencyclidine, also known as PCP, suffered powerful hallucinations. If an infant is given breastmilk with cocaine, they end up suffering from cocaine intoxication, with symptoms of irritability, vomiting, and diarrhea. All of these effects that result from consuming breastmilk with traces of illegal drugs can be both physically and mentally damaging, and even fatal to the infant (American). Robert Mathias, a writer for The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that more than five percent of pregnant women in the U.S. used illegal drugs while pregnant in 1992. All of these women could produce contaminated breastmilk which could be easily acquired by women who desire breastmilk for their children. If a women is in desperate need for money to satisfy her addiction, she may choose to sell her breastmilk, lying about its qualities. It is widely knowing the demand is at an all-time high, not caring about the consequences of her