Substance misuse in parents has effects on infant mental health

Substance misuse in parents has effects on infant mental health Substance misuse in parents has both direct and indirect effects on infant mental
health. Infants may be born with addiction and withdrawal symptoms, affecting
sleep behaviour, responsiveness and the amount of crying. This creates
additional challenges for the new parent attempting to comfort and respond to
infant needs. A mother who misuses substances, despite being highly motivated
to care for her baby like all new parents, may find the competing demands of her infant and her dependence needs overwhelming. The caregiving environment
may be disorganised, with a risk of exposure to violence depending on the nature
of the mother’s social network and relationships. In this context, meeting infant
physical and emotional needs is extremely challenging and infants may
experience neglect, abuse and repeated separations, and develop impaired
attachment relationships. Parenting capacity is directly affected by substance
abuse and risk for infants is significantly increased.
Parents who misuse substances benefit from information about normal
development and parenting techniques, as do all new parents. However, these
parents also require ongoing support in order to manage infant needs and substance-dependency issues. There is little research available on the needs of parents who misuse substances and their infants, however, clinical experience
has shown that the availability of coordinated, ongoing home-based support, as well as the characteristics of the parent and the caregiving environment, often
determine the ability of the parent to provide ‘good enough’ parenting to the
infant. There is also an opportunity around the arrival of a new baby for the
parent to address some of the issues that have contributed to her substance-use
patterns. With skilled and sensitive support, it may be possible for real changes
to occur that benefit both the parent and her infant. Provision of early
intervention in the home and a trusting, honest relationship with the parents are
important aspects of providing effective support. Infant risk is a critical first
stage of assessment and it is important to recognise physical effects of in-utero drug exposure.