Heroin Exposure in Pregnancy: Epidemiology, Triangle, and Community Health - Essay Sample

Introduction

Epidemiology entails knowledge of probability, statistics, and other research methods linked to public health. In the health system, epidemiology is considered the primary tool for public health campaigns and guarding them against various fatal diseases. A mother's exposure to heroin during pregnancy is associated with certain risky complications to the fetus. The assessment will provide the effects of the epidemiological triangle and the function of community health nurses to address the disease.

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The application of the epidemiological triangle provides a way to view any disease interrelated to its three aspects. They are etiological, which are agents of disease and include nutritive, chemical, physical, and infectious agents. In this case, the mother was exposing the fetus to chemical agents, which is heroin, which can be referred to as poison in this context. On the other hand, the host factor is the age. The baby has not yet been born, making it quite susceptible to the development of complications due to being exposed to heroin (Gouda & Powles, 2014). As such, the baby may end up being premature, have a low birth weight, or even have developmental issues. There is also the element of human behavior, which in this case, is heroin consumption and which in the end, the mother ends up being exposed to it during pregnancy (Bhopal, 2016). Concerning the environmental factors, it is simply exposure to heroin during pregnancy that ends up harming the unborn baby (Gouda & Powles, 2014).

The mortality rates of newborns in Pennsylvania can be curbed or reduced through the application of specific community interventions. The risk factor in this case is being exposed to heroin use during pregnancy as it harms the fetus. Community health nurses must address the issue of heroin use around pregnant women (Bhopal, 2016). It can be done by gathering and analyzing information and then offer a chance for the prevention of the risk posed to mothers when pregnant.

The essay has assessed the diagnosis of exposing a pregnant woman to heroin use. It has been observed that reducing the exposure to heroin will minimize the mortality rates and development of dangerous complications to the fetus. Community health nurses must gather data and offer intervention programs for pregnant mothers. In this way, it will minimize any risks to the fetus.

References

Bhopal, R. S. (2016). Concepts of epidemiology: An integrated introduction to the ideas, theories, principles and methods of epidemiology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=vwfnDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Concepts+of+epidemiology:+An+integrated+introduction+to+the+ideas,+theories,+principles+and+methods+of+epidemiology.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1v_bWq4rlAhXIX8AKHYWWCvwQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=Concepts%20of%20epidemiology%3A%20An%20integrated%20introduction%20to%20the%20ideas%2C%20theories%2C%20principles%20and%20methods%20of%20epidemiology.&f=false

Gouda, H. N., & Powles, J. W. (2014). The science of epidemiology and the methods needed for public health assessments: a review of epidemiology textbooks. BMC public health, 14(1), 139. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-14-139