Can Addiction Treatment Be Undertaken by Pregnant Women Who Use Drugs?
Question by dolores df: Can addiction treatment be undertaken by pregnant women who use drugs?
Or would this cause the baby more harm? I’ve heard that the baby can get addicted to methadone if the mother takes it while the baby is inside her womb. Should the woman just stop her use of drugs and wait until the baby gets born before she seeks treatment?
Best answer:
Answer by caleigh lw
It’s actually advisable for pregnant women who are using drugs to undergo addiction treatment as soon as possible. If she doesn’t, her baby will be at risk for having low birthweight when delivered, and her chances for miscarriage will also be higher. It’s safe to undergo methadone treatments as well as detoxification as these are advisable for pregnant women. The baby will most likely get to experience symptoms of withdrawal afterwards, but these can also be treated. If you know someone who is pregnant and is doing drugs, get her to consult a doctor immediately.
Answer by Dave
Definitely. And in fact, it should be done ASAP.
Babies born of addicts are born addicts and will have all kinds of problems if they do not get their fix. It is hard to wean kids off drugs and it causes them to have intense withdrawal symptoms. I would not wish that on any baby. They also are more likely to have health problems as druggie mothers tend to do other things bad for baby, such as drink booze, smoke and not eat properly.
Best bet is to get clean ASAP and stay clean.
(Also if you are on drugs when the kid is born, you are automatically considered a bad mother and the baby is taken away from you immediately. If you get clean before the birth and stay clean, they will consider you rehabilitated and that will count in your favor.)