does drug addited fathers have effects on unborn children,infants or toddlers as far as learning disabilities?

Question

I was in my 2nd trimester when my boyfriend started using crack . He was not on drugs when we conceived but I could be wrong . I'm worried that if he had crack in his system around the time I became pregnant that it will some how affect my baby who is 4mos. old now. I am not sure if the baby will have any problems later down the line or maybe evan struggle with drugs later in young adulthood. I have so many thoughts and just don't know what to think. I would like to know what to expect or at least feel assured that my baby is in the clear and will be okay since I've never been on drugs.

Answer 1

Has he been smoking rock near the baby? If not then there will be no problem.

Word of advice from one person who WAS with a crackhead. You can't change him. You can't fix him. Only he can fix himself. Do yourself and the baby a favor and leave. And only allow visitation with you around to insure that he doesn't do drugs around the baby.

***************

I reread your question and see that you are concerned with your child being influenced by his father as well. What I can tell you is to be 100% truthful with your son about his father. Point out how his father is addicted and that this is the fall of him. That if he does drugs that he will wind up following the same path. Also, be truthful about the variety of drugs and how the effects are different for each one. If a child learns that you lied (whether you know it to be a lie or not) about one drug they will think that you are over exaggerating about all drugs. Learn everything about all drugs and be an educated parent.

Answer 2

Some of the latest drug and alcohol research is showing that drug use effects genes by switching them "on" or "off" (expressed vs. not expressed). So if he was using before you got pregnant is may mean that his drug use changed his sperm in the way that the genes passed on to your baby will be expressed. Mostly it would show the greatest effects in your child's susceptibility to addiction.

If your boyfriend uses around you or your child or is around either of you after use then you will be exposed to some of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process.

Your child's odds of being unaffected as far as genetics are pretty good, though as he grows you'll want to educate him on the danger of drug and alcohol addiction. He'll also suffer the effects of having a parent with a drug addiction, including feelings of abandonment and neglect by his father. The sooner he can turn his life around the better the outcome for everyone. Many people need help to quit an addiction and there are many resources available to you over the internet and in your community.

Answer 3

Ya know what.. drugs can decrease sperm count and make it sometimes impossible to impregnate a woman.
But, if a sperm gets to the egg, implants, and your body doesn't reject the fetus (miscarriage) then it means a healthy sperm got in there.
In the off and impossible chance there was something wrong with the sperm, proper care by the mom while carrying the baby is what counts.
Did you do good? Does your baby seem okay now?
Don't worry too much about it. The worry isn't in whether was something wrong with the sperm, but just be very careful and don't leave him unsupervised with the baby if there's a chance he'll want to get high.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Yes, what a father is doing at the time of conception CAN have an effect on the child. My mom and her siblings had a father who was an alcoholic. All have learning disabilities. Her mother was totally healthy, never drank, never smoked, ate well, etc. And neither parent had learning disabilities themselves. A doctor when she was older told her that it was more then likely due to the substance abuse her father struggled with.