Excellent info on opiod effects on newborns.
Yes, the baby will have to withdraw. It's not fun for caregivers to watch and deal with. Expect some behaviors such as excessive sucking, crying, inconsolability. Also take seizure precautions---yes in some cases this can happen. Watch for it.
Anyhow here is the article info: It's from a Canadian agency--- AADAC (the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission). Hope it helps.
Effects on the Newborn
To date, none of the opioid drugs, including heroin and methadone, have been shown to produce physical birth defects in babies, although some research has found higher than usual rates of visual defects (e.g., strabismus). The most consistently reported effect on newborns is intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), resulting in smaller-than-normal head size and low birth weight. It appears that infants born to methadone-maintained women who receive good prenatal care have relatively higher birth weights than do babies born to women who abuse heroin during pregnancy and have no prenatal care.
When opioids are taken during pregnancy, the fetus becomes physically dependent and usually undergoes opioid withdrawal after birth. It is estimated that 60 to 70 per cent of infants born to mothers using heroin or methadone experience neonatal abstinence syndrome. Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) primarily affects an infant’s central nervous system. Gastrointestinal tract problems are also common. The symptoms of withdrawal in newborn babies can include excessive sucking, muscle spasms, irritability, sweating, fever, seizures, breathing problems, high-pitched crying, disturbed sleep and feeding, stuffy nose, sneezing, hiccups, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms usually develop 48 to 72 hours after birth, but may take up to
will withdraw, yes.
http://corp.aadac.com/other_drugs/th...eyond_abcs.asp
for full article.
Would you like to comment?
