Opioid addiction is the topic of this week’s discussion and whenever addiction is mentioned so is withdrawal and rehabilitation. Early symptoms of withdrawal include but not limited to: agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. These withdrawal symptoms can begin to take place anywhere from 12 to 30 hours after the last usage depending on the drug. More about opioid withdrawal can be found at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000949.htm
As depressing as it may sound, new babies can be born addicted to drugs. When women addicted to narcotics/opioids become pregnant, they can’t just stop the drug use because of their pregnancy (wanted or unwanted). Therefore, in the womb a baby is fed the opioids taken in by the mother. Eventually the baby will become addicted to the drug as well. After birth, infants, like their mothers, will also experience withdrawal after their last exposure to the drug. For infants especially, withdrawal can be a very painful, trying process. Pharmaceutical agents have been created that can help induce withdrawal specifically in highly intoxicated infants and ease these withdrawal symptoms. These include Suboxone and Suptex, both of which contain a drug called buprenorphine, while Suboxone also includes naloxone. Buprenorphine supposedly speeds up the detoxification process, while naloxone induces withdrawal by blocking opioid receptors in the brain. Naloxone is only used in the most severe cases and has been known to cause side effects worse than withdrawal symptoms in infants, so it is being used with caution for the time being. There are other treatments and drugs that exist as well, some of which are mentioned below and explained at: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;101/6/1079.pdf
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Babies born with an addiction to drugs have what is called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or NAS. After birth test are conducted such as a toxicology screen and urinalysis to determine if a baby actually has NAS. When the severity of the infants addiction is understood specific treatments are carried out on a case by case basis. The effects of a drug in the womb leads to symptoms such as low birth weight, birth defects, higher risk for SIDS and being stillborn, premature birth, etc. Most of these infants must stay in the hospital (instead of the normal 48 hour period) for two weeks or longer depending on their state of addiction. In addition to drugs, the best treatment babies can get is comfort via pacifiers, cuddling, swaddling and dark-lit rooms to help with sensitivity to surroundings.
Prevention
According to the March of Dimes around 4% of all pregnant women are on illicit drugs. The best treatment for NAS is simply prevention altogether. By helping moms lose the habit and drug addiction will help stave off this nasty outcome in infants.
If you or anyone you know is trying to stop their narcotics/opioid addiction please contact a doctor, drug treatment facility, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery or the Here to Help program at 866-973-HERE (4373) or visit http://heretohelpprogram.com/treatment/here_to_help.aspx
Thanks , I have just been looking for information approximately this topic for a while and yours is the best I have discovered so far. But, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive about the source?|What i don’t realize is in fact how you are now not actually much more well-preferred than you might be right now. You’re very intelligent.