Opiate Addiction: What Happens to the Children?

Heroin and opiate addiction has caught the attention of many state legislators in recent news. A rise in the number of individuals with opiate addictions has increased the number of children born to mother’s who have used throughout their pregnancies. Use of opiates during a pregnancy can cause babies to have medical issues such as spina bifida, hydrocephaly, gastrochisis, glaucoma, low birth weights, and congenital heart defects. Babies born dependent on opiates may experience withdrawal symptoms including:

• Very noticeable mottling in the skin
• Tremors throughout the body
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Failure to gain weight
• Irritability
• Abnormal sleep habits
• High-pitched cries and crying spells

During withdrawal, children may have seizures in some cases death if not monitored or care for properly. Babies who are dependent will often be put on methadone in order to manage these symptoms and be weaned off slowly. This process ideally should be done within one to two weeks, however, it can take much longer if the use was heavier during pregnancy. Babies can still experience symptoms even after weaning off of a drug for upwards of six months. For more information click here.

There are a concerns about increases in medical costs related to babies needing specialized care due to opiate dependence and about legal issues.  Read about it here.