One suggested mechanism by which substance abuse impairs parenting is its impact on the neurocircuitry of the mother’s brain, particularly the oxytocin and dopamine systems (Strathearn and Mayes, 2010). Oxytocin motivates social behavior by stimulating a reward response to proximity and social interaction and has been shown to increase significantly in both mother and infant during periods of close contact and breastfeeding (Strathearn et al., 2008). Substance abuse interferes with this process. For example, cocaine specifically coopts this neuropathway by decreasing the production of oxytocin and thereby making maternal care less rewarding for a cocaine user (Elliott et al., 2001). Dopamine operates similarly: it rewards social behavior and regulates the production of stress-response chemicals. Most addictive substances affect dopamine production by providing drug-induced surges of dopamine, decreasing the body’s natural production of the chemical, and nullifying the rewarding effects of normal human behavior. The dysregulation of dopamine also impairs a mother’s ability to regulate stress, making her more susceptible to the exhaustion and frustration inherent in early parenting (Strathearn and Mayes, 2010). From a neurobiological perspective, therefore, the motivation to engage with and respond to infants may be compromised in the presence of addiction, and this diminished motivation may result in part from infant signals holding less reward value (Rutherford et al., 2013). In addition, the increased stress inherent in the parenting role may increase cravings, drug-seeking behaviors, and relapse to substance use (Rutherford et al., 2013).