Adoption stems from brokenness. It's not something a mother chooses for her baby because she is in an ideal situation or environment. Because of this, there are cases where we see prenatal substance exposure. If a pregnant mother is struggling with addiction to heroin, oxycodone, or any other opioid then the safest treatment option is methadone through a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), methadone is safe for pregnant women combating opioid addiction. MAT has been used to treat pregnant women since the 1970s. In 1998, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) established MAT programs as the best practice treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorders.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in a medically supervised program can lead to minor NAS symptoms for a newborn, but it is far less severe than to be born with the withdrawal symptoms of heroin. Symptoms of NAS can include difficulty breathing, extreme drowsiness (sleepiness), poor feeding, irritability, sweating, tremors, vomiting and diarrhea.
But what about the long term? There have been studies, including one that followed children up to age 3, that do not find differences in development among children who were exposed to methadone during pregnancy and those who were not. Some other studies on methadone and opioids as a general group have found more problems with learning and behavior in children exposed to opioids for a long period of time during pregnancy.
Is methadone treatment symptom free for the baby? No, but it is the best option compared to symptoms if the mother continues to use heroin or oxycodone. Although it can illicit fear for hopeful adoptive parents when we read through what could happen to a newborn who has been exposed, we must remember God's sovereignty over all of it. He is the ultimate healer, protector, and peace giver.
+ If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me at meg@christianadoptionconsultants.com +
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