Resources for Pregnant Women in Methadone Clinics

The use of heroin, cocaine, and other illicit drugs has become a public health concern especially during pregnancy. Maternal substance abuse has become an issue during the crack epidemic in the 1980’s; however, there is an alarm rate of infants born addicted to heroin. More than 3.7% women have indicated the uses some form of illicit drugs during their pregnancy, as well as 1.9 % reports binge drinking (Bhuvaneswar el at., 2008; Grant el at., 2009). With this in mind, more than 375,000 infants are born to maternal substance abusers each year costing over $100,000 in medical expenses covered by the state (Reitman, 2002).

Substance abuse during pregnancy can have a negative force on the health and wellness of not only the fetus, but that of the mother. The harmful effects of medications, alcohol and illegal drugs on an unborn child can be devastating and can have significant consequences to its use. Sometimes the effects can be faced and treated, and other times the outcome is a lifelong challenge. During the prenatal period, it is important that new mothers are informed of the different types of abuse, how they may affect the fetus, and the adverse conditions their child may be faced with before and after birth.

Through the years, substance misuse in the United States has turned into an industrious issue influencing numerous people. In 2008, it was assessed that 17.8 million Americans beyond 18 years old where substance subordinate. Women who use medications during pregnancy can have an enduring impact on fetal. Medications can have an impact of maternal and child wellbeing, yet there are a lot of different variables, which influence it, poor social environment, nourishment, cleanliness, and sexual abuse. Regenerative interruption connected with heroin utilization has been shown in both and women and even low dosages of opiates can impede ordinary ovarian capacity and ovulation. The harm that goes hand in hand with substance utilization comes either straightforwardly from the impact of the medication itself or from issues identified with development and/or unexpected labor. The entanglements of jumbling components clamorous way of life, poor nourishment, liquor utilization and cigarette smoking influence the appraisal of the impacts of cocaine in pregnancy. In obstetric practice, 100% of pregnant women utilizing cocaine or heroin are cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking is presumably the most well known manifestation of substance utilizes and is noteworthy corresponding considering ladies who use unlawful medications. Babies whose moms smoked in pregnancy have a tendency to have lower conception weights and diminished length, cranial and thoracic

When a woman uses heroin while pregnant, her baby is at risk for many challenging effects that will ultimately follow him or her as they grow into an adult. As heroin enters a mother’s system, the drug crosses into the child through the placenta (“Heroin Addiction”, n.d.). While a baby is in utero, a mother’s substance abuse can cause a fetus to grow at a slower rate, lead to the rupturing of the membranes surrounding the baby that results in premature labor, and cause a possible stillbirth, which means the fetus dies in the womb (“An Overview of Heroin”, n.d.). Substance abuse can also cause the placenta to separate from the uterine wall leading to dangerous heavy bleeding, which is a threat to both mother and child (“Heroin and Pregnancy,” 2015). Along with possible placenta abruption, the use of heroin can lead to the intrauterine passage of meconium (“Opioid Abuse,” 2012). After labor and delivery, the effects

While both Methadone and Suboxone Treatment have both proven to be very successful in helping the admitted opiate addicts achieve recovery, having the option of Methadone treatment available to the addicted pregnant Mothers, gives them the choice to bring a healthy baby into this world. It is a choice that is only safe with Methadone treatment and not with Suboxne. This is a choice addicted woman did not have before Methadone, and will not have again, should they remove Methadone from the market. And although the community thinks having the clinics brings crime into the neighborhood, they need to consider that every day when the 600

There are many people in the world today that are drug addicts and cannot quit by themselves which is where the methadone clinics come into the picture. Methadone reduces the withdrawal symptoms therefore making it easier to quit drugs. Even though methadone is supposedly proven to be safe, it seems to have biases and stigmas associated with it because it is an opioid medication and many people can become addicted to it as well as have serious side effects. For individuals who aren 't willing to quit using drugs, they offer needle exchange programs that reduce the risks of infections and diseases. Needle exchange programs are important in a society like today because a

America has a major problem with opioid addicts, and many facilities are helping the addicts by providing safer options to taking the drugs their bodies crave. Methadone clinics are places where people addicted to opioids can receive medicine-based therapy. Opioid use, drugs such as heroin, morphine, and prescribed painkillers, has increased in the US with all age groups and incomes. People become addicted to these drugs when they are prescribed, recreationally used with other addicts, or they are born addicted. Many health institutions are addressing this issue with an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012 and an estimated 467,000 addicted

Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) is used with opioid dependency and is an opioid replacement therapy. MMT typically replaces heroin with Methadone which is a cleaner substance than heroin, and is used to avoid withdrawal and allow the user to function normally within society. MMT has been around for the last 50 years, and research studies have been conducted to address the benefits and the complications associated with this replacement therapy. This paper will examine some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with MMT and reflect on personal ideals in accordance with MMT.

Post World War II New York City was faced with a major heroin epidemic with over 151,000 names listed in the Narcotics Register (Herman). As a medical response, methadone was developed to treat heroin addiction (Herman). Today methadone maintenance treatment has grown to become a popular therapy for drug addiction as well as pain management. Methadone has helped many people to create new lives for themselves, yet there is still debate over the success of this program. Methadone assisted treatment should be seen as an effective program in combating opioid addiction due to its health and social benefits for both users and the community.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug which was first used in World War II for the treatment of pain. Since then, methadone has become a popular choice for treating those addicted to other opioid drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone. It is used to reduce dependency and the treatment should help them become clean. Even though, the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts is not a cure, it is a good one. Fortunately, the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is a reliable way for those with an opioid addiction to stop and not restart the use of opioids. For many, methadone treatment provides an opportunity to regain balance in both lifestyle and priorities. (“Opiate Addiction and Treatment Resource”). Everyone deserves

Besides preventing withdrawal, methadone treats the mom’s opioid addiction. About 70% of pregnant opioid addicts will relapse back to illicit opioid use (heroin or pain pills not prescribed to them) if they are taken off methadone. We also know that women enrolled in a methadone treatment program are much more likely to get prenatal care, and babies born to moms on methadone have higher birth weights than mothers in active addiction. If the mother is dosed with methadone, the baby is much less likely to be exposed to infectious agents like HIV and hepatitis from shared needle use. The baby also won’t be exposed to adulterants that can cause fetal damage, if heroin is being used.

The title slide and variables could have been explained in a way to let the reader know that neonatal outcome was being measured after exposure to treatment medication methadone and buprenorphine and not just "opioids."Mariah's presentation followed the grading rubric she did not over-crowd her slides, which made it an easy read. Overall, Mariah's presentation was informative.

In today’s society people are talking about babies being born to drugs, and how could a mother do that to their unborn child. Drug addiction is a very serious issue that needs more research. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. One problem that needs to be looked at is are there enough Rehabilitation Centers, to help the women who are addicted to these different street drugs. Also doctor and nurses should not judge these women but instead give them the best prenatal care that can be provided. We need to see what harm and side affects it has on the mother and baby, so that we can be able to understand better how to treat these women and get them off drugs before they do harm their babies.

Many women, including teens, abuse drugs while they are pregnant. This rate is especially high to those who are homeless, underprivileged, or live in a broken home. In order for drug abusers to even have a chance at beating their addiction they have to have support whether it’s family, friends, or boyfriend/spouse. They must also let the abuser now all the consequences to themselves and the unborn child. There are many consequences when using drugs during pregnancy such as miscarriage, health risks to baby, and health risks to the mother. And learning disabilities and brain damage to the fetus.

Heroin is not new. In fact, the first growth and cultivation of opium dates back to around 3400 B.C. during the ancient Mesopotamian age. Tom Carnwath briefly discusses the origin of this now over-powering substance in his book “Heroin Century”. Carnwarth mentions that at one point in history even the Romans used it for tinctures, tablets, poultices, and lozenges. It wasn’t consistently being used until the sixteenth-century when physician Paracelsus began to prescribe it to his patients as he