Fetal Abuse is a social problem that has caused heated debate for the past two decades. Since 1985, many studies have been conducted on the effects of substances such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and nicotine on the unborn child. This marked the beginning of fetal abuse's transformation from a social issue to a social problem. After these studies were conducted, the results found were very concerning to society. Negative effects were found in children born to mothers using the substances, effects that are permanent, including physical deformities and mental impairment.

An example of the negative effects of substance abusing pregnant women can be seen in the phenomena of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and the related, less severe, Fetal Alcohol Effects. A woman puts her child at risk for developing many problems when she consumes alcohol during pregnancy. These problems include: low birth weight, irregularly small head size, clubfoot, facial...