I Failed One Drug Test During Pregnancy and Am on Methadone Will I Lose Baby

There are several reasons CPS can take your child away, and fetal exposure to alcohol or illegal drugs is near the top of the list. No US states have mandated universal testing of newborns for illegal drugs to date.

The testing of newborns is also a controversial issue in all states. But also keep in mind that an estimated 90-95% of babies exposed to alcohol or illegal drugs before birth do not have that exposure detected when they are born, and thus pretty quickly go home with their parents.

So, is prenatal drug exposure considered grounds for removing a child from home or taking them away at the hospital? As of 2011, the answer is yes in 27 out of 50 states. The reasons CPS takes children to vary, but they will look unfavorably on anything that might threaten a child's health.

Do you need help with a drug addiction? Are you worried about someone else? If you have more questions or someone you love needs more information, please call us at 385-327-7418.

Content

Pregnant and Using Drugs
Drugs and Their Risks to Mother and Child
Taking Steps to Save Your Child
Laws and Regulations by State
Substance Abuse While Pregnant. Is it Child Abuse?
Does it Warrant Civil Commitment?
Do All States Drug Test Newborns?

Pregnant and Using

Using drugs while pregnant can cause many problems. For example:

Infertility
Difficulty getting pregnant
Issues with the placenta
Preterm labor is when the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Miscarriage – when the baby dies in the womb before the 20th week of pregnancy.
Stillbirth – the term when the baby dies in the womb after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Taking drugs during pregnancy can also cause other complications:

Premature birth – meaning the baby is born too early, typically before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Low birth weight – when the baby is less than 5 pounds 8 ounces.
Smaller than average head size.
Congenital disabilities – health conditions present at birth; they can change the shape or function of body parts and cause problems in the child's overall health.
Infections such as hepatitis C, HIV, and Zika. These typically affect drug users that share needles. It is possible that if the mother has these infections, then she can pass them onto the baby during pregnancy or birth. If the child does get infected with Zika, it can cause a defect called microcephaly and various brain problems.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is a condition that a baby can suffer if the mother uses physically addictive drugs while pregnant. This causes the child to suffer from withdrawal symptoms after they are born. This syndrome usually requires medical treatment and is easy to notice; it belongs to CPS's list of reasons for taking your child.

Children whose mothers used during pregnancy can also have a variety of issues later in life, including:

Learning problems
Behavioral problems
Slower than expected growth
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) is when the child passes away without explanation while sleeping.

Risks to Mother and Child

Using illicit drugs while pregnant increases many risks for mother and child alike. It increases the mother's risk of anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. This includes sexually transmitted diseases, many of which are bloodborne and can be transmitted by contaminated needles. Additionally, most drugs that enter the bloodstream can pass through the placenta and get to the baby. Using illicit drugs that cause substance dependence and addiction in the mother can also cause the baby to become addicted while in the womb. Different drugs can cause different things to happen to the baby. Marijuana use has been linked to cognitive and behavioral problems in the baby later in life.

Are you worried about the risks associated with addiction and pregnancy? Then call us today. We will be able to help you start a new path to sobriety. Do not risk your child. Call us, and get the help you need today.

Risks of Opioid Use While Pregnant

Heroin and other illicit or non-prescribed opioids can cause severe withdrawal in the baby at birth. Sometimes the symptoms can last for many weeks; these babies are also at a higher risk for apnea where they stop breathing. However, if a mother stops taking illicit drugs within her first trimester, she highly increases her chances of having a healthy baby.

Opioid use while pregnant, whether illicit opioids like heroin or fentanyl purchased from the street, can cause great bodily harm to mother and baby. The difficult part about this type of addiction is that the mother will experience physical dependence on the drug.

It's not unheard of for pregnant mothers to continue using to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms. If you find yourself addicted to opioids but want to seek help, there are ways you can do so.

Entering into a Medication-Assisted Treatment program will help tremendously to stabilize your dosage. You can begin to focus on building a life for yourself and your baby. Instead of seeking out your next way to get high, you can start to clean up your life.

Cocaine Risks

Cocaine use can lead to possible miscarriage, preterm delivery, premature detachment of the placenta, high blood pressure, and stillbirth. Babies born to mothers who use cocaine are more likely to have a low birth weight. They may also have an increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Effects of cocaine on the developing child may include growth defects, hyperactivity, behavioral problems, and learning problems.

Meth Use During Pregnancy

Using other drugs such as dextroamphetamine and methamphetamine can cause miscarriage and preterm birth. The newborns exposed to these drugs during pregnancy often show signs of withdrawal, jitteriness, trouble sleeping, and trouble feeding. These babies may also be at a higher risk for SIDS and suffer from tremors and muscle problems later on in life.

Are you worried about losing your baby because of your addiction? Call us today, and we can help you get into treatment. Start your new journey today.

Keeping Your Child Safe From Drugs

Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider if you are using or to try to quit drugs when attempting to get pregnant or while pregnant. It might seem very scary to admit this to your provider openly, but it may end up saving you and your baby in the end.

If you use heroin or other opioids or prescription drugs, do not stop taking them without getting treatment first. Quitting suddenly or cold turkey can cause more severe problems for you and the baby, including death. Your doctor will provide you with a treatment plan to help you gradually reduce your dependence on the drug in a way that is safe for both you and your child. Your doctor may treat you with methadone or buprenorphine to help you do this safely.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (in which babies go through withdrawals after birth) is fortunately very treatable and has not been linked to long-term adverse consequences. Nonetheless, it is on the list of reasons CPS can take your child; the best defense here is to show that you are in treatment and doing your best to provide a stable home environment.

Laws and Regulations

Substance Use During Pregnancy is a Crime

Hundreds of pregnant women have been accused of child abuse (among other crimes) due to their newborn testing positive for controlled substances. Laws on drug testing mothers and their newborns vary; however, the stakes are high if the test is positive. In some places, mothers may lose their baby or be arrested — possibly even if the drug was prescribed by a doctor. Now we will go over state laws to help mothers better understand what the hospital and the state can do if a child has been exposed to drugs upon birth.

The following states have classified substance abuse during pregnancy as a crime:

Alabama
Tennessee
South Carolina

Tennessee is the only state with an actual statute that makes it a crime to use drugs while pregnant. In Alabama and South Carolina, they allow prosecution of pregnant women who use drugs and new mothers who were using, under child endangerment and chemical endangerment laws. All other states say that substance abuse during pregnancy is not a crime. Call us today if you need help with addiction. If you are struggling, we can help you get on the right treatment path.

Criminally Charging Pregnant Women with Addiction

However, since 1973 authority figures have tried to charge women in at least 45 different states for exposing their unborn children to drugs. These efforts continue against mothers even in states where high courts have rejected the prosecution approach, as we discussed above. Again, only the three states mentioned have official laws against using substances during pregnancy, but it hasn't stopped prosecutors from using other laws against mothers with substance issues.

The only states that have not tried to charge women for using drugs while pregnant are the following:

Iowa
Maine
Vermont
Rhode Island
Delaware

Substance Abuse. Is it Child Abuse?

Many of the prosecutions mentioned were in states that say substance abuse counts as child abuse during pregnancy. 18 states have laws to this effect:

Nevada
Colorado
South Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Indiana
Oklahoma
Texas
Louisiana
Arkansas
Tennessee
Alabama
Florida
South Carolina
Virginia
Rhode Island

Does it Warrant Civil Commitment?

There are a couple of states where substance abuse during pregnancy is grounds for a civil commitment. This means that women who use drugs during pregnancy can be involuntarily committed to a treatment program. In other words, they can be put into a treatment center without their consent. Those states are;

Minnesota
South Dakota
Wisconsin

Wisconsin, however, is special in its law. The law is a bit brutal in what they are allowed to do in the case of a mother using drugs while she is pregnant. Not only can they force the mother into a treatment center against her own will, but they also detain the mother for the duration of her pregnancy. This state also provides the fetus with its lawyer, and the mother can lose custody of her baby after its birth. Records of these proceedings are also mostly kept sealed. Are you struggling with addiction? Are you pregnant and struggling? Do you know some that are? Then call us today. We can help you get the treatment needed to get you back on the right track.

Required to Report

Fifteen states require your doctor or other healthcare workers to report it to authorities if they suspect a pregnant woman is abusing drugs. Most states have no specific law, but the ones that do are quite strict. Suppose a healthcare provider has a suspicion that a pregnant woman is using drugs for the duration of her pregnancy. They are required to make a report and tell authorities of their suspicion. Those states are:

Alaska
Arizona
Utah
Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Oklahoma
Louisiana
Illinois
Michigan
Virginia
Maryland
Rhode Island
Massachusetts

Do All States Drug Test Newborns?

However, not all of those same states require testing to prove that suspicion. Most states do not have a law that requires hospitals to test newborns and new moms for controlled substances and other drugs. Oddly, this includes most of the states listed above: very few states requiring reports ask that health officials confirm their suspicions with a drug test.
The states that require a drug test if the healthcare worker is suspicious are the following:

North Dakota
Kentucky
Iowa
Minnesota

Currently, no state has mandated universal testing of newborns for illegal drugs, and testing newborns is a controversial topic. For the time being, substance use during pregnancy and motherhood is both a public health and criminal justice concern. There are plenty of negative health concerns discussed above that are associated with substance use and impact both the mother and the child. Any of these are potentially on the list of reasons CPS can take your child away; however, the question of "what does CPS need to remove your child" can have various answers depending on the state. CPS guidelines for child removal are state law and internal regulation in the agency.

Getting Help

Meanwhile, there are ongoing attempts to criminalize substance use during pregnancy. These put women that use drugs when they are carrying at risk of being caught, arrested, and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Do not risk the life of a child. Call us today, and we will help you get the treatment you need. Do not hesitate. Start your journey to a happier and healthier life now.

I Failed One Drug Test During Pregnancy and Am on Methadone Will I Lose Baby

Source: https://betterhelpaddictioncare.com/addiction/will-my-baby-be-taken-away-from-me-at-the-hospital/