Case Study: Hope For Drug Addicted Infants

In America, the use of opioids is at an all time high, it has became such an issue nationwide, that it has became an epidemic. Because of the opioid epidemic, America is tearing apart, children all across the country are dying everyday, these children are dying from overdoses due to poisoning. The opioid problem is not just because of a person's decision to pick up a needle or a pill bottle, but it is because in the 1990’s doctors gave up on trying to treat patients for their overwhelming pain and discomfort, causing opioids to become over prescribed. Due to the carelessness of America, opioids are being distributed more and more everyday, causing the skyrocketing number of deaths.

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).

Opioid drugs are some of the most widespread pain medications that we have in this country; indeed, the fact is that opioid analgesic prescriptions have increased by over 300% from 1999 to 2010 (Mitch 989). Consequently, the number of deaths from overdose increased from 4000 to 16,600 a year in the same time frame (Mitch 989). This fact becomes even more frightening when you think about today; the annual number of fatal drug overdoses in the Unites States now surpasses that of motor vehicle deaths (Alexander 1865). Even worse, overdose deaths caused by opioids specifically exceed those attributed to both cocaine and heroin combined (Alexander 1865).

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.

The use of controlled substances throughout pregnancy is a very prevalent issue among society today. Controlled substances have devastating effects on not only the mothers using the substances, but also infants while they are in utero and after they are born. Many infants born to mothers, who are abusing drugs, suffer from life threatening illnesses and are forever affected through adulthood. Specifically, heroin is a common drug form that is often used during pregnancy and results in the life threatening effects mentioned above.

In the 80s Boston, as well as other cities, experienced a drug epidemic. The drug was called crack and it affect the city of Boston badly. A nurse named Fulani Haynes at Boston Medical Center was working during the crack epidemic. She explains how to care for babies who were born addicted to drugs that passed from a mother’s bloodstream through the placenta and into a tiny body. “The babies couldn’t tolerate being held or rocked, she recalled. They wailed at the sound of soft lullabies. Only complete darkness, silence, tight swaddling, and medication could soothe them.” This drug has nothing to do with heroin but it shows the people of Boston that if the heroin addiction continues to spread, more and more children will be born addicts and

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

Methadone maintenance therapy is the primary go to source for addicts looking to quit the street drug, heroin. Methadone on it's own has its own number of controversies within society. However add on the fact that a number of patients that attend the meth clinic that is pregnant, well this can add additional controversy and raise ethical implications as well. Ultimately the child is better off when not being subjected to harmful substances such as drugs an alcohol. However when given the choice of heroin or methadone, we will examine what the benefits of methadone maintenance therapy can provide the mother, and the fetus. Methadone clinics provide a safe form of the drug with clean needles which helps cut the spread of HIV/AIDS among the population. While the client is at the clinic it is a good time to reach out and provide the future mother with resources that may help her once her child is born. Clinicians can also take advantage of this meeting time to reach out to the mother and inform her on the benefits of attending a treatment facility to help achieve sobriety.

    The opioid and heroin addiction is affecting the upcoming generation drastically. There are babies being born with an addiction to alcohol, opiates, heroin, alcohol, or multiple different things. These drug addictions at a young age take a toll on the children 's bodies, they shake violently and cry uncontrollably. 1 in 10 children born in a hospital are addicted to one of the above mentioned drugs. The babies aren 't the only youth affected, there are also teens/young adults that who are addicted to these drugs. This

“Every 25 minutes, 1 baby is born suffering from opiate withdrawal. Newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) are more likely than other babies to also have low birth weight and respiratory complications” (Dramatic Increases in Maternal Opioid Use and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, 2015, Paragraph 2). To insure a better life for these babies, people are trying to create an Act called the Plan of Safe Care Improvement or otherwise known as the Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement. This Act is meant to protect future babies from not only being born drug dependent because of their mothers, but also ensuring them a drug-free environment after birth. It will also “get help for the mothers and any other guardians involved in drug addiction”

According to Lowe (2017), “…across the United States, a woman presents every 3 minutes to an emergency department for opioid misuse or abuse” (p.657). With the significant increase in the misuse of opioids over the last thirty years in the US, it has become a serious public health concern. With the most dramatic rise in opioid use being of childbearing age women, it is a very important issue in maternal health care (Keough & Fantasia, 2017). It is imperative that nurses are informed and have efficient knowledge of the potential risks, effects, treatment, and prevention of opioid dependence during pregnancy.

Project Prevention is the charity organization that means a non-profit organization. Its main objective is to make general public aware of the problem of drug addicts exposing to their unborn child to drugs during pregnancy. The founder Barbara Harris has a personal experience how the drug causes the problems. This was the only reason this charity was born. Mrs. Harris has a good intention behind her act. $11.4 billion was spent by US government in 1994 just after the rehabilitation for the addicts and make them drug free but no sufficient result was achieved. She has already paid 3500 addicts across the US not to have children. She is visiting in the UK to encourage the addicts to undergo the surgery for cash. She has named this task as a “Long term birth control” (“Project Prevention”, 2010).

How would one feel if one found out that their newborn child has birth defect such as mental retardation or seizures just hours of being born, that their babies cannot live a normal life because of the decisions you made during the prenatal care? Is it really worth it? There has been an exponential increase in the amount of babies being exposed to drugs before they are even born in the United States. Further evidence sparks this controversial issue practically showing that drug use by pregnant women is evidently considered child abuse. By defining the necessity to realize the drastic consequences of a newborn being stimulated by prenatal drug ingestion, by refuting counterarguments that fear of legal ramifications will hinder pregnant women

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.