"Addicted and Pregnant" Topic of Spanish TV New Segment This Week

Blanca Vargas, 30, remembers how guilty she felt when she was pregnant with her second child, and still addicted to methamphetamines, which can lead to premature birth, deformities, and a host of developmental problems.

Now six months pregnant with her third child, she has managed to stay clean for months by attending daily counseling and support sessions at Shields for Families in Compton. She and other women like her will be featured on this week's Telemundo Los Angeles segment of "Primeros Pasos," a First 5 LA TV news series about pregnancy and infant development. One installment of the series airs each Wednesday on the 6 p.m. news, featuring anchor/producer Lucia Navarro.

Shields for Families, a First 5 LA grantee, operates a network of 30 clinics and treatment centers in south and central Los Angeles, where bilingual services are provided to more than 300 pregnant and parenting women who are addicted to alcohol and drugs.

For more information in English and Spanish about pregnancy and substance abuse, visit www.samhsa.gov. or call the Shields for Families Assessment Center at (323) 242-5000 x255