| Methadone Questions and Answers: |
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| Methadone and Pregnancy: A pregnant woman who abuses opioid drugs may seriously damage herself and her unborn child. While methadone itself does not eliminate all potential problems of pregnancy, a comprehensive methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program can greatly reduce the possibility of sickness or even death in the mother or child. What advantages does MMT offer? Heroin and other opioid drug use can cause serious complications during pregnancy, including miscarriage or premature delivery of the unborn child (also called fetus). Children born to addicted mothers also are at a greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Since the early 1970�s, medical experts have recommended MMT for opioid-dependent pregnant women. Because MMT helps reduce the use of illegal opioids and the abuse of other harmful drugs, it offers a number of proven advantages. Helps the mother escape from a drug-seeking lifestyle. Reduces the risks of contracting HIV, hepatitis and other infections. Prevents erratic blood levels of drugs that put the unborn baby through dangerous withdrawal. Improves nutrition, leading to a healthier weight and condition of the newborn. Allows the mother to prepare for the birth, take baby care classes, and begin homemaking. Reduces medical complications both before and during childbirth, allowing for a healthier newborn. In short, research has clearly shown that MMT is safe for pregnant women and offers a much greater chance for a healthy baby. What is the best methadone dose? There is no single best methadone dose for a pregnant woman. The maintenance dose needs to be individually determined for that particular person�s needs, to control drug craving and prevent withdrawal symptoms. Because of changes in a pregnant woman�s body during pregnancy, she may need to increase her methadone dose at some point. This can be the case no matter how high the dose was to begin with and it does not harm the unborn child. Stopping methadone or reducing the dose is not recommended. It could lead to withdrawal symptoms and �street drug� abuse, harming both the mother and the unborn baby. Even mild withdrawal can put stress on the unborn child, causing miscarriage, premature delivery, or even death in the womb. If absolutely necessary, discontinuing methadone should only be done under close medical supervision. Does methadone affect childbirth pain? While the pregnant MMT patient is in the hospital, she should continue receiving her regular methadone dose. Ask the clinic doctor to talk to the hospital staff about this if necessary. Although methadone is a painkiller, the MMT patient�s body becomes accustomed to its pain-relieving qualities. This means that she will feel pain just like any woman who has never taken methadone. During labor and delivery, she should have the same choices for pain relief available to any other patient � possibly including opioid pain medication. This should be discussed with the doctor, ahead of time. How is the baby affected? At birth, the infant mat have a slightly lower than average birth weight than a drug-free newborn. This is only temporary and can usually be avoided if the pregnant woman receives proper care before childbirth, and does not smoke or drink alcohol. Since methadone crosses from the mother to the baby in the womb, the infant can experience some withdrawal symptoms during the first few days after birth. Withdrawal usually develops slowly and is routinely treated by the baby�s doctor. There is no long-lasting harm to the child from methadone. It is important to remember that a baby born to a mother in MMT is always much better off both physically and mentally than if the woman was using heroin or other �street drugs�. What about after childbirth? The methadone should be continued daily as usual while the mother is in the hospital. Ask the clinic staff for help in arranging this, if necessary. A mother can breast-feed her new baby while taking methadone. Although methadone does show up in breast milk, research has shown that it is too small an amount to affect or harm the child. However, a mother should not breast-feed if she uses any alcohol or �street drugs�, or if she has an infection such as hepatitis or HIV. What else can a pregnant woman do? Taking good care of herself is vital for the health of the unborn baby. Inform the clinic staff as soon as she thinks she is pregnant. Attend all prenatal doctor�s appointments and education classes. Follow the health care providers� instructions for prenatal care. Eat healthy foods and watch her weight. Stop or at least cut down on tobacco smoking. Never take any drugs, vitamins, nutritional supplements, or alcohol that have not been specifically prescribed by her doctor. |
