The Seeds of Addiction: Infants, Children and Seeds of Addiction

Tragically, there are times when parents and others plant the seeds of addiction in infants, even before those babies are born. For example, a newborn diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome reveals the reality of parents or grandparents consuming alcohol in excess.

Parents and others can endanger the lives and health of their infants and children with the use of nicotine and other abusive substances. At the same time, the seeds of addiction grow in those infants and children, unless the propensity for addiction is recognized and curbed early in life. Many of these children grow up to become addicts.    

It is difficult to believe that any parents or others would plant seeds of addiction in children, either knowingly or intentionally, but it does happen.

There are times when parents expose their infants and children to alcohol, nicotine or other substances repeatedly, with the intention of getting them addicted. Trafficking may be their source of income and they teach children to market and sell their merchandise. This is deplorable when it happens.

The genetic effects of addiction are evident in the story, “The life of Bill Wilson” who suggests that he inherited his “predisposition” to alcoholism from his grandfather.

An innocent child cannot assume the responsibility for addiction that occurs when he or she has continual exposure to alcohol, nicotine or other abusive substances, either prior to his or her birth or later. He or she does bear the consequences.   

The article, “Keeping your child free from addiction” suggests that parents are not always responsible either. 

“Sadly, it can happen no matter how parents try to protect their children. Having a child with an addiction, or unable to recover from an addiction, does not mean that the parents are to blame.” 

Lifestyles in families and communities are deeply entrenched from generation to generation, with potential genetic alterations leading to addictive patterns of behavior in infants and children born into future generations. More advance research will likely show what happens genetically in families where there are known addictions developed over many generations.

Parental education, awareness and supportive guidance with compassion, are vital in helping to curb the growing problem of addiction in infants and children. Treating maternal addiction to alcohol, nicotine or other substances may not eliminate the seeds of addiction, but may help to lessen the health related problems prior to birth, or ones that occur after a child is born. 

Once sown, the seeds of addiction grow in accordance with the nurturing environment. It may take many generations to eliminate the genetic damage that has occurred to infants and children. At times, it may be too late as permanent damage may already have been done.