M. Pajulo et al., Maternal substance abuse: Infant psychiatric interest: A review and a hypothetical model of interaction, AM J DRUG A, 25(4), 1999, pp. 761-769
Substance abuse problems have strongly increased among Finnish women during
the last decade. The negative effects that maternal substance abuse is tho
ught to have on the quality of early mother-baby interaction are an area of
interest and concern to specialists in infant mental health. During pregna
ncy and the newborn period of the infant, substance-abusing women have been
shown to be especially willing and able to reduce use once the problem is
identified. The desire to stop abusing substances appears to be predicated
on a strong desire to be a good mother to the child. Interventions that foc
us on abstaining during pregnancy and on the early mother-child relationshi
p have shown promise in helping these mothers improve the developmental pro
gnosis of the child and become better parents through sobriety.