Last Updated on December 10, 2019 by Valarie Ward

Prescription pain medications are one of the easiest drugs for a person to develop an addiction to. Created for the purpose of pain relief and management, these drugs were never intended to be abused, but addiction to pain meds has become a growing problem. For some, the difference between relief and abuse is blurred. According to US News, more babies than ever before are being born to mothers addicted to pain meds.

A Rising Number

In the United States, a new research study has revealed an increase in the number of newborns born to mothers who are addicted to prescription painkillers. As a result, the cost of treatment for these babies is on the increase. The research supports recent recommendations from the medical world to screen or test pregnant women for possible substance abuse.

For women who have already been or are pregnant, the poking and prodding of test after test at the beginning of pregnancy can be almost unbearable. Whether we like needles or not, an array of blood tests has to be run to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Many of us stress over being able to urinate at each medical appointment because we all know the bathroom is the stop immediately after the scale and blood pressure check. But we bite out tongues, knowing it’s all for the best, and we revel in those small, priceless moments of hearing the baby’s heartbeat and seeing them wave on the ultrasound monitor.

Outside of the standard battery of ongoing tests and checkups, pregnant women are also continuously asked the same questions throughout their pregnancy:

• Are you consuming any alcohol?
• Are you doing drugs?
• Do you take any medications, and what are they?
• Do you feel safe in your home?

Our answers are almost robotic. And for pregnant women who take painkillers, prescription or over-the-counter, remembering to include them is sometimes a challenge.

The Commonality of Prescription Pain Meds

According to NIDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, some 52 million people in the United States over the age of 12 have used prescription drugs non-medically in their lifetime. The most abused prescription drugs fall into three categories: painkillers (at 5.1 million users), tranquilizers (at 2.2 million users), and stimulants (at 1.1 million users).

The majority of prescription pain medication abusers didn’t intend to become addicted. In fact, of the 52 million people who have used prescription drugs, none took them with the intent to become addicts. Most of them just wanted relief from short-term, long-term, or chronic pain.

Prescription Pain Medications and Pregnancy

The study reported on by US News was conducted over a three-year time span at an American hospital. It includes 40 newborns exposed to prescription pain meds from year one, over 55 in year two, and over 60 year three. The study revealed that roughly 50 percent of the newborns exposed to prescriptions during utero were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (or NAS).

On an average, infants affected by NAS stayed under medical care for 23 days. In contrast, a healthy newborn free of exposure to prescription painkillers only remained in the hospital for approximately two days while the mother recovered for their trip home.

The study revealed that the cost of treating newborns with NAS grew exponentially over the three-year period. In the first year, it increased from $1 million to $1.5 million in the second. The third year increased again to $1.8 million. When compared to the treatment received by healthy newborns, those with neonatal abstinence syndrome were up to 16 times more expensive to treat successfully.

Addiction to prescription pain meds can start before, during, and even after pregnancy. For women who have been taking such prescriptions prior to pregnancy, it’s best to determine whether they can be stopped or dialed back during gestation to promote a safer pregnancy and healthier infant. This can be difficult because pregnant women need sleep, and that’s hard to do when they rely on prescription pain meds to be able to be comfortable enough to sleep.

Some women, especially those who are pregnant with their second, third, fourth, etc. child, start taking painkillers during pregnancy. As a women births more children, she can experience greater muscle, ligament, and tendon pain at earlier intervals during each pregnancy. What may start as the responsible use of an over-the-counter or prescription painkiller to alleviate the discomfort can cascade into substance abuse and addiction if left unchecked.

In addition, mothers who are given prescription painkillers after birth are at risk of developing an addiction. While most women can responsibly take a painkiller for a short period, some can grow dependent on it during that time.

Recognizing and Handling Prescription Painkiller Abuse

Whether you’re a pregnant woman, thinking about getting pregnancy, or the spouse of someone who is pregnant, learning how to recognize and handle prescription painkiller abuse is important. The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the myths of prescription painkiller addiction. The second step is to become educated regarding the major signs of prescription painkiller dependency. The third and most important step is to take action.

What’s Your Opinion?

Currently, urine samples and blood work are not routinely sent out for drug analysis. At the same time new hospital tubes make this process easier and more reliable. A drug screening is not a standard part of testing during pregnancy. Instead, doctors request information about any prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs a pregnant woman takes regularly. Occasional use of a prescription or over-the-counter painkiller isn’t discussed or inquired about unless brought up by the patient. Should the medical policy change?

Some expecting mothers have no issue with the addition of a routine drug test to ensure they aren’t taking anything harmful – whether intentionally or not. Other expecting mothers feel the addition of such a policy is an invasion of their privacy. And for mothers who take prescription painkillers for chronic pain management, the idea of seeing a new medical professional for their pregnancy and having to establish the why behind their current prescription(s) presents new stress.

What’s your opinion? Should doctors expand testing to include a drug screening? Why or why not? Could it create an unwanted stigma or cause unneeded stress in some situations? Share your opinions with us by leaving a comment!