Addiction management during Pregnancy at Alcohol Treatment Center
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 11:17:29 PM
As far as alcohol consumption is concerned, there is nothing like a safe level to stick to during pregnancy. In general, doctors believe consuming in excess of 12 units of alcohol on a regular basis have a significant effect on the fetus. The effects could be anything from mental retardation to neurological deficiencies to behavioral problems or cretinism in the new born baby.
Most alcohol treatment centers are aware of this problem and have developed a multi-discplinary therapy routine to handle alcoholism during pregnancy.
The most coherent biological treatment used to treat alcoholic pregnant mothers is detoxification. The process needs to be carried out in a residential set up, most suitably an alcohol treatment center, in close collaboration with an obstetrician. All those pregnant women who are physically dependent on alcohol are always advised not to stop their habit of drinking all of a sudden. After all, there is always the additional threat of a significant adverse effect on the life of the fetus. Differentiating the symptoms of withdrawal from the symbols of pregnancy is a difficult task. However, some of the most common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are fever and continuous tremors.
For anything other than a physical removal from drinking, medicines are administered in order to control the situation. In case withdrawal symptoms like seizure, hypertension, agitation and tachycardia are left unaddressed, there are very high chances that these may lead to a serious risk to the life of the mother and the fetus. In such situation medical intervention is more than necessary and most of the alcohol treatment center plans their treatment programs accordingly.
Coming to the use of sedative hypnotics for controlling of alcoholism during pregnancy, the most common treatment process that is chosen by an alcohol treatment center is controlled withdrawal. However, there always remains the element of life threatening effects on the mother’s life which may result from controlled withdrawal as well. Adding to the effect and worsening the situation further more, in such conditions there is also a chance that the fetus will suffer from a respiratory arrest. In case there is such a possibility, the doctors at the alcohol treatment center might apply chlordiazepoxide accompanied with dose tapering. What also goes hand in hand is the specialist obstetric treatment to ensure the safety of both the mother and the fetus. If there is extreme agitation, the doses of the chlordiazepoxide may be reduced but only in an initial process.
One of the most important aspects of the treatment of alcoholism during pregnancy is to motivate the woman to undergo the process of detoxification which is indispensable to the health of her own body and that of the fetus. However, it obviously needs to be administered under acute care and attention at a residential treatment center and in collaboration with an obstetrician. The chances of an addiction removal in such cases are rather slow as abrupt cessation can have serious adverse effects while on the other hand the medicine dosage has to be modulated to avoid side effects. Detoxification and medication have to be carried out in a balanced way to ensure that the pregnancy comes to an end successfully.
When making a decision on getting substance abuse treatment, be sure to check out a liquid health supplement and ask them questions so you may make an informed decision on which treatment center is best for you. At a liquid health supplements you will not only learn about the disease of addiction and alcoholism and how to overcome addiction, you will also learn to have a relationship with a loving God who only wants the best for you.
