Whats the Recommended Treatment for Pregnant Opiate Addicts?
The most commonly recommended treatment for pregnant women who are addiction to heroin or other opiates is methadone maintenance treatment. All pregnant opiate-addicted women are advised to take methadone as a part of a medically supervised methadone maintenance treatment program. Methadone is currently the only medication approved for the addiction treatment of pregnant women who are addicted to heroin or other opiates. The fetus feels withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. Short-acting opiates such as heroin cause fluctuating levels of opiates in the blood, ranging from high levels during intoxication to low levels a few hours later as the drug wears off and withdrawal symptoms start appearing. This fluctuation is tough on the unborn child. Methadone is a long-lasting and stable opiate that keeps blood serum levels at an almost constant level throughout the day. This serum level stability keeps the fetus from experiencing withdrawal discomfort; thus, methadone maintenance treatment re
