Using heroin during pregnancy

Here is a similar question & answered by a specialist I found on the web although I have read about other systems they cannot prove that they are directly a cause of the heroin...I also know a women who has had 8 children while addicted to heroin her babies suffered withdrawals, yet they had no noticeable defects.

Q: I am a manager at a family center, and one of my clients is a pregnant heroin addict. I would like some help to find out as much as I can about the effects of heroin on an unborn child.

A: The problem with illicit drug use, like heroin, is that those who use these substances usually are taking in other harmful substances too, like alcohol and cigarettes. Heroin addiction is also associated with poor nutrition and highly stressed day-to-day life.

But as far as studies indicating specific harm during pregnancy, there's little conclusive evidence about exactly what damage is done. The March of Dimes explains, "children exposed to heroin before birth are at increased risk of learning and behavioral problems." But complications during pregnancy, as I said, are tied up in several other factors.

Heroin is not a teratogen—that is, it's not a substance that causes deformities in the developing baby. But, the mother's baby will have a heroin "need" when he or she is born if the mother has been using on regular basis. You should urge your heroin-addicted pregnant patient to seek out the care of a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist (perinatologist).

If the mother goes through withdrawal during pregnancy, so also might the baby, with some stillbirths noted from this complication. The long term effects of heroin addiction on children born to these women demonstrate an increased tendency to behavioral and other problems.


Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo is a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has been in private practice since 1981 and has served as Chief of the Medical Staff at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in greater New Orleans. Dr. DiLeo's new book The Anxious Parents' Guide to Pregnancy is now available.

All articles by Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo

I am 12 weeks pregnant and I have been using Heroin. I want to quit. I was using Heroin alot up until I found I was pregnant and I've kept using just not at much. I really want to quit. I'm taking all my pre-natail vitamins but Im still using. My question is have I already hurt my baby?

lillyrose wrote:

A freinds daughter who is a heroin addict just got pregnant.....she said she has been clean...otherwise could not get pregnant.....since the body falls asleep during addiction of heroin and she wouldn't been able to conceive........Is this true? How long does heroin stay in the body?

When I was using I did not get a period for years. When you don’t have a period you do not ovulate. Without ovulating it is impossible to get pregnant. I will say this, there were times that I had no period for months and then I would have a day where I had a light period. Fortunately I did not conceive but I believe I ovulated even though my period only lasted a day.

Hi, my name is Jen, I am 26 years old and I am five months pregnant. I have struggled with using opiates before and during my pregnancy. I don't understand why, but I had no concious about it, untill now. Now that I have been clean. I was clean for awhile and recently relapsed a week ago. Thankfully I have a family that loves me and a husband who is amazing. As soon as he found out I was using he took me out of the situation. I have been here with him while he is working out in the Mountains of West Virginia. Because there is absolutely nothing to do and I know no one, I have been forced to face my demons. The person I was and who I became are two different people. I lost my 20 year old sister a year ago in a car accident, which led me to my drug use. I lost my best friend and drugs filled the void. You would think that being preganant would be enough to make a woman stop, but it wasnt. I was use to filling the voids with drugs and I didnt want to be happy about the baby, because the first person I wanted to tell about the baby was my sister, and she wasn't there. I guess I stoped caring about myself because of my grief. I know I should have received counseling right away, but I don't like to deal with things. I pray to God that my child is okay. I pray to God that I get stronger and I pray that people will not think of me as a terrible mother. I love my children. I plan to remain clean and return home to get counseling. Being here away from everything I know has been a helpful wake up call. Drugs had the wool pulled over my eyes, but It is time for me to let go and let God. I pray for all you addicted mothers. Our lives can be better, we can take control. get out of the situations you put yourself in where you are likely to use first of all. Sometimes that means letting go of some people you love.

Good Luck and God bless. -Jen

Thanks for sharing your story, Jen.  I imagine it must be such an incredibly tough time for you.  How have things been going since you last wrote?

I know of someone you stayed clean for most of her pregancy and started using herion the last 2 months of her prgnancy and no one knew untill the baby was born and suffering from withdraws. She now doesnt have custody of her child and the baby has been fighting withdraw symptoms the last 2 weeks and has been allowed to leave the hospital. Doing herion is not safe when your pregnant EVER!

Hi, Im 16 weeks prenant, and have used heroin on and off.....Ill use like like a week and then quit for 3....Its just sooo hard...Ive told my doctor and i see him again on wednesday... I can' quit cold turkey.  Does anyone know if methadone or subutex is better.  I just wanna do whats right.....I don't wanna continue down this path...I already have one child and am a great mother to her.  I just need answers/help!?

I would not worry, for it is people that make stuff up about how horrible heroin is on unborn fetuses. I was pregnant last January and deep into heroin addiction, told my doctor and she informed that there is no proven evidence of heroin effecting the health of a fetus. Then if you do more research and actually sit there and think about it, what is morphine derived from? If it okay for you to take morphine while pregnant why is it all of a sudden not okay to take heroin? Well other than the fact your child will be born with withdrawal and be taken away. 

hey .. i am 15 weeks pregnant and have been sniffing herion and i want to stop so bad .. i have a couple suboxin that i am starting tomorrow.. i am terrified that there is goign to be something wrong wit my baby .. i need someone tomake me relax please please give me some advice .. they already tested the baby for downsydrome and they said i had a 1 in 10,000 chance .. but also i have not told my doctor that i have been using .. because they will notify the autorities in my state .. so i am goign to take the suboxin starting tomroo .. please give me some adivce .. like will my baby still withdraw if i completely stop in the uncoming week .. i will be 16 weeks on tuesday please help me

Im on a methadone script and reducing at my own will,not at my consultants as they do not like to reduce during pregnancy. I know 1st hand what happens to babys born with child abstinance ( withdrawel). The opiate seemed to slow growth,not majorly but noticable,also my son was unable to suckle when he was born.I had to have a c~section as his heart was slowing. It alsost seemed that durin my pregnancy my body was in denial of it..i didnt even produce milk,they say that if yu manage to b.f methadone/opiate born babies it helps as it weens then off thru ur milk.Unable to do this on the 3rd day of being born...My son was Not born prematurley,he weighed approx 7lb, my son started experiencing withdrawel symptoms.He was already in neonatal as he had low blood sugars...The symtoms were a shrilling scream,legs pulled up to chest,and going bright red.It was very obvious he was Extremley uncomfortable.The registrar called me in and said they were goin to start a course of morphine reducing every week untill he was better.During this course of treatment my son had extremly bad diahorria,the morphine had stopped the serious withdrawels but the other problems like feeding (unable to suckle,the poorly belly had caused him to have extremly broken skin on his bottom that became very sore,it bled and had to be kept very clean which was hard to do as he had had very bad diahorria,it was almost burning his bottom skin..He was cared for brilliantly between me an a wonderfull team of nurses.Looking back those 10 weeks in neo natal were the worst ever times,seeing my son in such a bad way an knowing it was my fault was damning. My son is now 4,he starts school in 3 months and hes a very bright beautifull little boy,he has brilliant social skills an there is no worry about him whatsoever. :)

Im now 31 weeks pregant again but i chose this time to reduce my methadone,with great resistance from my consultants as i think the severity of his withdrawels last time couldve maybe have been made a little easier if i had reduced.I was on 75mls a day with him,during this pregnancy ive dropped to 40mls...im not expecting a miricle but im hopeing my body will this time help ie breastfeeding as last time i had no milk,ive found already by reducing im startin to lactate.

I would advise anyone asking about this is cut down, preferebly get help an do it that way.Aslong as the consultants know what to expect they Can help your baby and theres no reason why your child cant lead a healthy normal life after all this.

first of all i have to state how ignorant your :) is. you dumbass. your on here bregging about using pos ass using herior for six months, your poor poor child. what kind of mother are you when u were injecting your kid with herion. a pos one. your saying o my kids 4 months old and completly normal and happy bla bla. the first year of a childs life is the best at determining if they will have problems. not four months jackass. when your kids not crawling or walking at one year old, they should be taken from you

I have never judged anyone and everyone makes mistakes, but after going through all the ugliness and your baby going through all the pain and discomfort in your first preg. why in the world would you go and get pregnant again? get off the meth first, you should be strong for your kids even if you dont care about yourself.

Hi there,

I am 23 weeks pregnant. I used up until I was about 15 weeks and have used nothing since then. I quit using 4 Suboxone total. I know that isn't good for the baby either. Without repeatedly apologizing on here for my behavior, I was just wondering what ended up happening to you? Were you able to quit? If so or if not, how are things now? How was the baby when he/she was born? Hope all is well!

All i can say is that you and your baby are very lucky. Just because you are not seeing problems now doe not mean he could'nt have problems later in life. He could have learning disabilities. Adhd,odd. I hope and pray he is fine in the future, just saying. You act as if because your baby has not had any problems you are proud of the fact that you used heroin for six months and your baby is okay. Shame on you. Get down on your knees and thank God every day. What areyou going to do the next time you get pregnant? Use heroin for six months or until you are full term? Get your life together child you have a baby to think about for the rest of YOUR life.

Well this was 7 years ago, what happened???? Thanks for the f*****g update.  No answers ANYWHERE on the web.  Everyone too afraid of getting sued?

 

"Chance" of this... "chance" of that...

No real information.