nicole toro

Synopsis:

In the 1980's, Dr. Ira Chasnoff began a study using 23 babies to develop his theory of the devastating effect crack cocaine had on in utero babies and new born babies.

In his study, he claimed that they were more likely to be premature, higher chances of newborn seizures, and much smaller newborn sizes as well as brain damage, lack of eye contact with their mothers and predicted decreased social abilities similar to that of Autism. The "crack babies" were "very shaky" and "tremulous".

In the 90's, Dr. Claire Coles refuted his evidence as socially irresponsible, especially since from the publishing of Chasnoffs studies, law enforcement was now taking the study out of context, using distorted information with inaccurate research to justify prosecuting pregnant addicts to the full extent of the law, many times charging them with child abuse and in some cases, attempted murder.

Studies have now shown that Chasnoff's studies were wrong in most ways because many of his "crack baby symptoms" were simply symptoms of pre-mature babies. Cole exerts that crack cocaine was not the leading cause of this problem, but rather substance abuse in itself, social issues and maternal behavior.

In 2000, Chasnoff retracted his previous statements and explained that the effects of crack cocaine on the babies was not in fact "devastating" and "could easily be reversed and helped for the mother and the baby with treatment".

30 years later we follow a "crack baby" as she leads a perfectly normal, fulfilling life and is even the first in her family to graduate from college.

Scare tactics and propaganda in the 80's blew an easily treatable problem into epic proportions, pulling attention from the real danger to in utero babies, alcohol.

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