Taking Care Of Drug Addicted Babies

Everyday there are babies born already addicted to drugs due to their mother’s drug abuse during pregnancy. Drug withdrawal is a scary and sometimes painful process for any addict and this is no exception for the drug addicted newborn. Their little bodies must go through the withdrawal process the same way an adult must. The pain and confusion is overwhelming to anyone, much less a tiny baby who has no clue about comfort, pain, joy, fear and so forth. All a drug addicted baby can do is battle the withdrawal symptoms and cry. Hopefully the care the baby receives is knowledgeable in caring for drug addicted babies and can provide comfort as well as necessary medical intervention and care.

Taking care of drug addicted babies requires special training in order to know what their little bodies are going through and how to handle the fallout. Medical training is one thing, for doctors and nurses can be aware and implement necessary measures as needed. But once the medical status is stable, the baby simply had to get through the withdrawal process and this take a lot of patience, love and tender touches to get the baby through. This is why it is important that medical staff, foster parents and the parents if they are in the picture must all learn how to best soothe and comfort the baby who feels like the world outside of the womb is a painful and terrifying place.

The possible long term effects of being born drug addicted are many, some manifest and some do not. All caregivers of newborn addicts can do is hope to love and comfort the baby enough to ease the withdrawal and help the baby learn the world is not all scary. The foster parents or parents who care for a the baby must learn about the possible side effects in order to be on the lookout for things to crop up in the future. While the world is an unknown one for the future, there is plenty of hope when unconditional love is present.