MY SON WAS BORN ADDICTED TO METHADONE WHAT LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS MIGHT I BE FACING

I have 3 adopted children - all born addicted to methadone. Meltdowns, inability to get to sleep despite being extremely tired, difficulty with abstract concepts, lack of appetite, pain when trying to be still. All can be treated with exceptional patience and love, with good outcomes. Good luck x x

God bless you both...and may god bless your sister....(however METHADONE alone is not what shes using out there ..methadone can save lives if taken as directed...however im sure he probably went back to illegal l drugsif she abandoned her child and family ..im so sorry but you are obviously believers and god is bigger than addiction...i have HIM to thank for my recovery as well

Thank you! I have 4 children born DEPENDENT not addicted. Ages 16, 11, and 3 year old twins and none of them have problems. I was hyper as heck and still am but that has absolutely nothing to do with methadone????? People definitely need to do their research before trying to scare someone to death!

I've had 4 children on methadone ages 16, 11 and 3 year old twins. NUMBER 1) A baby CAN NOT BE BORN ADDICTED, only dependent. With that said my 16 year old has already graduated high school with honors in June of this year, my 11 year old is in 7th grade making straight As, my 3 year old twins are smart as a whip. I have 5 girls 4 born while I was on methadone and 1 was not. I see absolutely NO difference in any of my children. Also my 16 and 11 year old had no withdrawal symptoms when they were born, they didn't even have methadone in their system, my twins were born 6 weeks and 4 days early so they went straight to the NICU anyways, at day 4 they were medicated with 01mlgs of methadone 3 times a day then decreased off by day 12 and was sent home, I breastfed all my kids while on methadone. Now I'm not saying go get on methadone and have a baby but I'm just telling you if you happen to already be on methadone and get pregnant you will be ok and so will your son. It's of course natural to worry as a mom, I still do about mine. But Addiction is a diease in which a baby can not obtain in utero. I will give you an example of Dependancy. Someone gets hurt and they are put on a pain medication for 3 weeks their body becomes dependent on the pain meds but that don't make them an addict, an addict is someone that has no control over there addiction and takes nothing in moderation. So there is absolutely NO possible way a baby is born addicted to anything. As for the long term effects well just raise him as you would any baby, lots of love and learming and everything will be fine. That's MY experience of 4 children being born while I was on methadone. I don't understand why some say you have a long road ahead of you because my journey with my non methadone baby and my methadone babies have been NO different. Please don't treat him any different than you would if he was not born on methadone. Methadone is one of the MOST studied Recovery medications in the world over 50 years of studies have been done, with absolutely NO reasons to belive that newborns grow up differently from any other newborns born to mothers on no type of medication.
Just keep giving little man alot of love and he will be just fine!

My son was 3 weeks old when he lost his fingers on his right hand due to an iv being placed wrongly in his arm. He wasn't born addicted to methadone, but became severely addicted since he had to use it as a pain medication. He is now 3 months clean and I was wondering if he would have any long term side effects from the addiction.

Hi I was born addicted to methadone. I was in nicu for almost a month. I am now 25 yrs old. I finished school with a bachelors degree and have a really good job. I am not hyper or have ADHD even as a child. I did have a difficult time in school not with the work or comprehending things, just lack of interest so I did have to push myself really hard to graduate. I have an 8 yr old son who was born with no complications. Hope this sheds some light on your current situation. ☺

That don't make it right. You go thru the withdrawals mom not your child.

My girl who is 17 is just like her peers, just passed year 12 with good results, so just one year to go. She hold s a weekend job to help buy her stuff teens want/ need. The only thing i noticed that is different to her 25 year old sister ( born without exposure) is her temper which can be a bit quick and cutting. Otherwise she is doing well. I was told scary stories and yet she was 7ibs not a premmie.

BS!!!! You seem to be the one on the soapbox defending these junkies who are crippling our grandkids before they are even born. If you think we grandparents are ignorant about the methadone program you are very much mistaken! We don't live in sheltered worlds, we are on the front line of abuse from our junkie children and end up responsible for making sure our grandkids are safe and fed. Don't you dare take that kind of attitude with the lady who was making a valid point about waiting till you're actually clean and sober and fit to raise a healthy child before you spread your legs!!

I an another mother of 4 and all born on meth and only one of them withdrawwitch is my youngest son he's 2 in Feb and I've never had a full nights sleep.and niether of my baby boy..wen will he sleep through the night ??

I'm raising a methadone child and it's the most difficult thing I've done. Her mother is still using unfortunately. ADHD/defiance, it's taking a toll on our lives

Has anything changed in your life since the last time you posted please contact me

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Hello ! I wish I had done more research before I agreed to be put on Methadone when I found out I was pregnant but I trusted the physicians. Let me start by saying I was using opiates in very small amounts but was prescribed very high doses of methadone like 190 mg when I had my son ...luckily he was only 3 lbs 4 oz so he did not have withdrawal severe enough to be put on phenobarbital which shortened his stay after delivery. However he is now 9 and is in a special education class with behavioral :( He has Severe ADHD and is developmentally behind as well . He has been on several medications for ADHD and high doses which has stunted his growth. Early intervention is critical in the years to come for both you and your child, educate yourself to better understand your child's behavior... good luck to you and your newborn...patience is KEY :) there should be more research done about long term side effects in children born to moms on methadone !

Lady, you have no clue whether your granddaughter's behavior is due to her being born addicted to methadone. I wouldn't tell a concerned mother that she has a long road ahead of her because every parent and every child is different. My cousin was born not addicted to a darn thing and that kid was so hyperactive and didn't sleep for beans yet my own daughter, now 3 was born with me on a methadone program and was in the hospital one week to make sure no withdrawal symptoms arose before we left. She's literally the smartest child in her class and I get comments every single day on how wonderfully expansive her vocabulary is, how kind to others and patient she is and that she's doing incredibly well not for a drug addicted baby but for a child in general. There are so many articles and studies done on these babies and none can say that these babies aside from a possible very tough few weeks in the hospital after birth, are any different than other kids, at least not due to that alone. Every child and every parent is different. By the way, tell the doctor who prescribed the pain medication to me that caused me to become dependent on it that he failed me and my child. I don't blame him and you should really watch what you say about people bringing children in the world. I'm sure your grandchild a mother has enough guilt to last a lifetime without you being a jerk on top of it. I brought myself to detox when I became pregnant and because I was pregnant I had two options: methadone or subutex treatment. They were treating my child rather than me at that point because of how dangerous opiate withdrawal is to unborn babies. I never used heroin or a needle in my life. I was prescribed the pills I took and wanted off immediately after learning about my pregnancy. I had to choose between two drugs and I chose the one that's been used and around the longest because it has had the most studies done on it. There was no choice to detox and take nothing while being pregnant because that could kill or harm the baby. There are so many hyperactive, sleepless children whose parents have never touched a drug in their lifetime. Do you shame them for having children? I suggest you back off. This woman's child will be the most beautiful, intelligent and sweet baby she's ever known. Spend time and give love and take care of your babies and grand babies. And be kind to each other for God's sales.

God bless you. I'm trying to tell these people that every child and every parent and every addicts' story is different. Some babies born not addicted to anything have severe ADHD and don't sleep and then there are methadone addicted babies who are the smartest, kindest and most beautiful people you've ever met. I've seen many young kids who are nuts and many others who are not. I think it goes beyond just methadone born or not, living conditions (homeless, steady home, etc..), single parent, community or family support, income levels, all of this affects our children.