Pregnancy and Substance Abuse

The Need for Safe Detox While Pregnant

Using drugs and alcohol while pregnant is dangerous and carries a high risk of miscarriage. Detox during pregnancy requires specialized care; if withdrawal is not managed correctly, quitting the drugs can also be harmful. Learning about the unique circumstances of substance abuse during pregnancy will help you or a loved one break free of addiction and have a healthier outcome for both mother and child. 

Health officials report rising rates of substance abuse by pregnant women, but not every treatment program is equipped to help them quit using. Women are also at risk of overdosing after giving birth, making it even more imperative to seek help before their child is born.

Statistics About Women and Substance Abuse

Opioids like oxycodone are powerful drugs intended to dull extreme pain from cancer treatment or severe injury. But they also stimulate the brain’s pleasure center and can be highly addictive if not carefully managed. Among women ages 15-44, non-medical use of oxycodone rose 5.4% between 2013 and 2014, according to research reported in the Journal of Addiction Medicine. The number of pregnant women struggling with opioid use disorder more than doubled between 1998 and 2011, to four per 1,000 deliveries.

Risks of Using Drugs While Pregnant

Substance abuse is risky for pregnant women even after they give birth. The mother is at a very high risk of overdosing, possibly because they no longer feel it necessary to limit their drug use for the sake of their child.

One tragic cause of overdose is that pregnant women often don’t seek help for fear of having their child taken away by child-protection services. They may even fear being arrested for child endangerment, which has happened in several states.

Opioid Addiction Treatment for Pregnant Women

If you need help quitting opioids, it’s essential to seek medical help rather than trying to do it on your own. Abruptly quitting opioids during pregnancy can have multiple harmful consequences, including miscarriage, premature labor, and fetal distress.

Sadly, women in this condition do not have many options. Many addiction treatment centers are not equipped with the resources or knowledge to adequately address the health of both the pregnant mother and fetus during rehab.

How to Safely Detox From Opioids While Pregnant

The best way to quit opioids is to undergo medically supervised detox at a rehab facility that has experience helping pregnant women. Inpatient treatment is recommended because of the level of medical observation available.

How long you stay in an inpatient program depends on factors such as your physical and mental health, the drugs you’ve been using, and how far along you are in your pregnancy. After detox, your medical team may want you to move to an intensive outpatient or partial-hospitalization program that treats perinatal substance abuse patients.

Dangers of Drug Detox During Pregnancy

Drug withdrawal is uncomfortable and often painful, with side effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to cramps, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression. In addition, for pregnant women, detox adds a high risk of miscarriage. For that reason, you should not just stop using drugs – no matter how much you want to – but should seek the help of qualified medical professionals who can make sure you quit safely.

Detox for Pregnant Women at Resurgence Behavioral Health

There are many addiction treatment centers, but finding medically supervised detox for pregnant women can be difficult. “A lot of places, unfortunately, don’t want to take women who are pregnant and struggling with substance abuse or detox and needing that level of treatment,” says Dr. Lawrence V. Tucker, medical director at Resurgence Behavioral Health. He says Resurgence has several pregnant women undergoing care at its nationwide treatment centers at any given time.

Resurgence offers comprehensive treatment for all those seeking help with drug and alcohol addiction and provides help for mental health disorders. For more information and to speak with an addiction specialist, visit online or call(855) 458-0050.

Learn about the need for safe detox during pregnancy. We can help you at Resurgence! #pregnancyandsubstanceabuse #safedetoxhttps://t.co/ciBHcQcQde

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) October 26, 2021