Is Methadone Safe for Pregnant Women?
Methadone can be used during pregnancy if a medical professional feels that the benefits outweigh the risks. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is often much better to have the pregnant mother on methadone than continuing her heroin habit. Heroin use during pregnancy can cause preterm labor and babies with low birth weight and development delays. Methadone maintenance, on the other hand, results in increased birth weight and gestational periods. In addition, the fetuses are not exposed to infectious diseases spread by needle sharing, which is common among heroin users.
However, methadone use during pregnancy is not without risks. Methadone does enter the placenta and can cause dependence in the fetus. Because of an increase in metabolism during pregnancy, higher doses of methadone are often needed in the third trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, a medical professional should be monitoring the heroin user during pregnancy to ensure that the proper doses are being taken. Too much methadone can cause dependence in the unborn baby, while too little can cause the mother to relapse or suffer from withdrawal symptoms, both which can be harmful to the fetus.
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