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Methadone Anonymous Forums :: REGULAR FORUMS :: PREGNANCY INFO & FORUM :: premature babies born dependent on methadone
angela-ns Moderator Posts: 41 Registered: Feb 2006  Posted February 23rd, 2006 09:00 AM   IP              Since this is such a wonderful source of info., I figure I may as well use it to gain some more knowledge while offering support to other women, as well. This may not be your area of expertise, but I am going to ask, anyway. I had a baby while on methadone in May of '05. I would also like to add that because I suffer from a blood-clotting disorder called protein "S" deficeincy, and have had six miscarriages (one at 38 weeks), they took my son by emergency c-section when I was 35 weeks pregnant. Do you know when premie babies "catch up" with other babies? And my son (Gavin now 9 months old) was on morphine following his release from the neonatal care unit for about a month, but can he still suffer any long-term effects from his chemical dependence? All the info. I have gotten points in the direction that the answer is no, but I thought I would ask. I worry that he will be at a higher risk of developing a chemical dependency when he is older because of this. Is this true? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am asking because when he was born, I was always told that he is not the same age as other babies. Like when he was 8 weeks old, the doctor said he was like a 2 week old. So does that mean now that he is nine months old he is like a 7 month old? Thanks, A Angela Noel Scott
rikaros Member Posts: 20 Registered: Jan 2006  Posted March 5th, 2006 09:31 AM   IP              There are no associated developmental delays regarding opiates in children. The problems generally occur when a mother is in active addiction isn't providing nutritionally to the fetus. You aren't hungry, so you don't eat properly. There is a general agreement between neonatal addiction specialists that problematic withdrawal is a learned response. This means the more often the fetus experiences any withdrawal symptoms, the more likely (s)he is going to experience NAS after birth. I personally have had 3 children, and only one experienced very mild withdrawal at birth. I kept my dose at an optimum level (if I began to experience any symptoms of withdrawal I increased my dose) and ate properly. That and receiving medical care throughout my pregnancy resulted in very healthy children! I have NO idea about premature infants and when or whether they "catch up" in childhood. What your doctor said sounds right, but I have never done any research on the issue myself; it just makes sense that he would be younger than his actual age. That doesn't really sound like a developmental delay, if he was born early, and he is normal for what his age should be, then wouldn't that be normal? I don't know, I'm just hypothesizing about it. Please let us know what you find out, it would be good information for any mothers who have premature children! Ericka R Lear, CMA Director, PA-NAMA Regional Director Mid-Atlantic States "Making A Difference"
nenama_mom *MODERATOR* Posts: 210 Registered: Oct 2005  Posted March 6th, 2006 08:54 PM   IP              Angela, This is my area of expertise also. I practice in a newborn intensive unit. 1st of all, in general premies usually express their symptoms of NAS in more vague fashion. They are not as neurologically developed at birth as fullterm babies are so their expression of symptoms is different. They are also less exposed because they are born early. That being said, your baby was only 5 weeks early and prematurity is defined as being born at less than 37 weeks. Preterm babies catch up developmently at different ages and that is kind of dependent on how premature they were. In your baby's case he probably caught up pretty quickly due to his only really being 2 weeks early by the most accepted definition of prematurity, When babies are followed and tested developmently their ages are no longer corrected after 2 1/2-3 yrs of age. Corrected means exactly what you said it did.....when a baby born 10 weeks early is expected to do what a newborn is able to do when it is 10 weeks old. Your baby sounds like he is developmentally on target. There have been no studies to back up the assumption that babies exposed to opioids prenantally or postnatally will become addicts later in life. Those studies, if ever attempted, would be hard-pressed to control for so many variables such as genetic disposition, environment, etc. You are obviously a very bright woman who loves her son very much. I congratulate you for reaching out and learning all you can! Hugs, Sharon Sharon Dembinski, PNP, CMA Nurse Practitioner Discovery House the Center for Recovery and Hope Kent Hospital-MOM Program Advisory Board MSO Org Certified Methadone Advocate New England Regional Director: National Alliance of Methadone Advocates 401 736-4561 or 508 864-0311
ness Member Posts: 2 Registered: Mar 2006  Posted March 9th, 2006 05:11 PM   IP              The doctors have always told me with my premmies that developmentally you go off their due date.
Marot Poster Extraordinare Posts: 1203 Registered: Oct 2005  Posted March 9th, 2006 08:03 PM   IP              Yes, this is true ,ness. I am an RN that had worked labor and delivery and also in a pediatric clinic for 2 yrs. and we always do a corrected age according to your due date, but that doesn't mean that sooner or later your child will not be up there with the rest, cuz they usually do, between the ages of 2 and 4, which means by the time they go to kindergarten they are pretty much the same as everyone else. Hope this eases your mind. Love Marot
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Methadone Anonymous Forums :: REGULAR FORUMS :: PREGNANCY INFO & FORUM :: premature babies born dependent on methadone