The defender of girls, boys and adolescents of Neuquén, Natalia Storninipointed out that cases of problematic consumption in the family are growing. He also reported that the health system is working on a protocol to detect these situations during pregnancy.
The defender of girls, boys and adolescents of Neuquen, Natalia Storniniwarned about the increase in cases linked to problematic consumption in the family environment and warned that the situation can have serious consequences for the development of children, especially when it occurs during pregnancy.
The official explained that the problem is not only related to substance use, but also to the impact that this consumption has on daily life and parenting. “We talk about substances, alcohol, illegal drugs or medications without medical supervision,” he said during a radio interview.
As described, problematic consumption alters the organization of the home and weakens the conditions necessary for the daily care of children. In this context, difficulties appear in maintaining routines, supervising minors or establishing limits, which has an impact on their emotional and social development.
Stornini indicated that in many families where these problems exist, a change of roles occurs. In these cases, some children end up taking on responsibilities that correspond to adults, such as preparing food or caring for younger siblings. These situations can also manifest themselves in the school environment, with frequent absences, learning problems or behavioral changes.
From the area he heads they also noticed a significant increase in cases that reach institutional intervention. “We estimate that this year, compared to the previous one, there could be a 100% increase in the situations detected,” said the defender.
In this context, he pointed out that the Public Ministry of Defense of Neuquén In recent years, there has been an increase in cases of children born with intoxication due to substance use during pregnancy.
To address this problem, the Ministry of Health of Neuquén works on the implementation of a protocol that makes it possible to detect situations of problematic consumption during pregnancy and offer support to pregnant people.
“This directly affects the development and growth of the baby that is being gestated,” explained Stornini, who warned that, if we do not intervene in time, in the coming years greater learning difficulties could appear in children who were exposed to substances before birth.
