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Methadone use on children can cause serious health problems, including low blood pressure and heart rate, and can affect growth and mental capacity. Babies born to mothers who abuse methadone may experience withdrawal, but symptoms can be reversed through breastfeeding. Methadone use during pregnancy can also result in miscarriage and increased risk of SIDS.
Typically, the effects of methadone on children are classified according to whether the drugs have been used for a short period of time or have been chronically abused. In the short term, methadone on children can cause a number of serious health problems, such as lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Long-term methadone abuse, in contrast, more often affects the child’s weight and size. In many cases, children born to a mother who has abused methadone will often experience methadone withdrawal after birth. Studies suggest, however, that these symptoms can be reversed through breastfeeding.
In many cases, using methadone even once can lead to very serious effects on the unborn child. The immediate effects of methadone on children can include very low blood pressure; a substantially reduced heart rate; dry eyes, mouth and nose; increased intracranial pressure; and other similar symptoms. In most cases, these side effects of methadone use on children can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Also, women who use methadone even for a short time may experience a miscarriage as a result of this drug use.
Long-term use of methadone on children can lead to equally serious conditions. Long-term use of methadone can result in a decrease in the growth rate for the child, both in height and weight. Also, babies born to mothers with a long history of methadone use often have smaller than normal head circumferences. Fortunately, these effects disappear as the child ages and matures in childhood. Children born to methadone-abusing women, however, generally have substantially lower mental capacity than those born to non-drug-using mothers and may score lower on both behavioral and psychological tests.
Infants who have been exposed to high amounts of methadone also commonly develop methadone withdrawal, otherwise known as the neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. This is a condition that affects a number of systems in the body, including the respiratory system and the central and autonomic nervous systems, among others. Babies who are born with the condition have a higher risk of developing sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, than other, healthier babies. Studies have found, however, that the symptoms of this condition can be relieved through breastfeeding from the mother or another surrogate. In many cases, however, breastfeeding can be difficult or even impossible.
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