Whether medicines or illicit substances, drugs can have a far-reaching impact on the life and health of a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Sometimes drugs are essential for the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus. In such cases, a woman should talk with her doctor or other health care practitioner about the risks and benefits of taking the drug. Before taking any drug (including over-the-counter drugs) or dietary supplement (including medicinal herbs), a pregnant woman should consult her health care practitioner. A health care practitioner may recommend that a woman take certain vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.
Studies have shown that more than 50% of pregnant women take prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs or use social drugs (such as tobacco and alcohol) or illicit drugs at some time during pregnancy, and the use of drugs during pregnancy is increasing. In general, drugs should not be used during pregnancy unless necessary because many can harm the fetus. Less than 2 to 3% of all birth defects result from drugs that are taken to treat a disorder or symptom. ALSO READ : What Happens If You Fail A Drug Test While Pregnant
How to Detox Drugs Out of Your System When Pregnant
Drug detoxification is the process of disengaging a person from a specific drug or psychoactive substance in a safe and effective manner. The choice of which strategy to use for detoxification can depend on many factors, involving clinical judgment, the user’s personal preference, and circumstances, lifestyle and expectations, degree of dependence, and concomitant health problems. Detoxification does not imply that a patient has been given the diagnosis of substance use disorder such as addiction, abuse, or misuse of medications. Although addiction may necessitate detoxification in order to begin drug rehabilitation treatment, there are many reasons that patients must undergo detoxification.
Detoxification refers to a decrease in the biological activity of a drug after it has been metabolized in the body. Biotransformation is a critically essential pathway for drug detoxification and elimination in humans. Biotransformation of drugs leads to termination or alteration of their biological activity, otherwise, most drugs would have a prolonged duration of action. Despite the fact that probably every organ in the human body is capable of metabolizing drugs but the liver and small intestine serves as the dominant sites of expression of the major drug-metabolizing enzymes.
A pregnant woman has a strong motive to quit drugs for her baby’s sake. Using drugs while pregnant can harm not only the mother but also the unborn child as these substances cross the placenta to the baby. Some detox programs are safe, or moderately safe, for pregnant women. Others may be exceedingly dangerous, to your child, yourself, or both of you. It’s essential that you know what you’re getting into before you start, and you avoid anything that could jeopardize the health of either of you. Detox, especially if done cold turkey, can cause stress on the unborn child such as preterm labor or severe fetal distress.
Detox with medical supervision is an absolute must for pregnant women, as withdrawal symptoms may be especially harmful to the fetus. The goal of detox for pregnant women is to prevent relapse and manage pain. Detox specialists can keep babies safe and healthy by treating pregnant women in detox. Doctors often prescribe medications to stabilize pregnant women in detox. Alcohol and opiate detox usually pose the most risks to unborn children.
Can a pregnant woman detox drug at home?
You can detox personally at home, but only if you have a licensed detoxification center nearby that takes care of withdrawal symptoms. There are a few reasons which may dissuade you from this method, such as:
- There is a risk associated with it
- There are times when it doesn’t work
- Expert detoxification is more comfortable, safer, and effective in many cases
Medication detox at home packs indicate to help you through the withdrawal symptoms cycle all alone, however, they are not a fitting choice for some reasons, not the least of which is, they are regularly ineffectual and would leave you solo if something somehow managed to turn out badly. If you are considering detox and withdrawal symptoms programs, it would be better to seek the advice of medical and mental health professionals. READ: Do Detox Drinks Work For Drug Tests
