Drug addiction and motherhood: monitoring the child after childbirth

What is it about ?

This patient guide talks about the follow-up of a child whose mother had excessive and compulsive consumption (drug addiction) ofalcohol, drugs and / or medications during pregnancy and which continues after childbirth.

This addiction can have serious harmful effects, both for mother and child, in the short and long term.

How to recognize it?

You can suspect drug addiction if:

• The appearance and / or behavior of the mother indicates an addiction or poisoning ;
• Antenatal care is started later than usual;
• The mother does not come to the antenatal consultations and / or to the checks set with ONE;
• The mother tested positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C where the HIV ;
• Parents no longer have custody of children already born.

Maternal substance abuse can lead to the following problems:

• Poor physical health;
• Bad nutrition ;
• Discontinuation of contraception;
• Infections;
• Depression ;
• Financial problems ;
• Job Loss ;
• Limitation of the social network;
• Participation in a violent and dysfunctional relationship or illegal activities;
• Neglect and other ill-treatment.

Childhood exposure during pregnancy to alcohol or illegal drugs may be associated with

• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders;
• Retarded growth of the skull;
• Withdrawal symptoms after childbirth (breathing problems for example) or later (for 3 to 6 months);
• Possibly a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome;
• From abnormal intense crying in the baby ;
• Psychiatric problems;
• School difficulties;
• A developmental speech disorder;
• Social problems.

It is believed that growing up in a family where some people consume alcohol or other substances excessively is even more harmful to the emotional development of a child than exposing a child to these same products during pregnancy.

Some mothers are able to hide their excessive consumption during pregnancy, others manage to temporarily reduce their consumption or even stop it altogether.

What can your doctor do?

The doctor must take into account the possible problems of the mother and the child.

The child of a substance-dependent mother should be carefully examined and monitored, preferably by a team made up of at least one general practitioner, one care provider from ONE and one (e) social worker. These consultations provide an opportunity to analyze the interaction between the child and the caregiver and to what extent the child’s needs are taken into account.

The family situation is carefully monitored (work, accommodation, violence, punishment, daycare, relationships), in a direct but benevolent manner.

If necessary, the doctor communicates his results to the competent child protection authorities. From there, a network of care can be set up with, for example, the school, social services, care establishments and doctors.

Want to know more?

• Infor-Drogues – Another listen
• Alcohol, Ecstasy, Speed, Internet, Cannabis, Cocaine, Sleeping pills or tranquilizers, Gambling, update on your consumption – Stop or else?

Are you looking for more specialized help?

• Alcohol aid – Le Pélican & Le center ALFA
• AA – Alcoholics Anonymous
• Infor-Drogues – Another listen

• ONE – Office of Birth and Childhood
• PMS Center – Wallonia-Brussels Federation
• Approved family planning centers in Wallonia and Brussels – LoveAttitude

Source

Foreign clinical practice guide ‘Surveillance of the child whose mother is drug addicted’ (2008), updated on 11.05.2016 and adapted to the Belgian context on 15.03.2020 – ebpracticenet