Today prescription drugs are prescribed every day for pain, mental, emotional, or other illnesses. They are given a set of directions from the doctor for how much and how long to take them. After the prescribed dosage is up, the user should stop taking the drug for that initial incident. However, some patients get dependent on the drug whether they had more refills than necessary or took more than the recommended dosage.
Xanax is the most commonly prescribed and misused benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. This drug is a central nervous system depressant and can lead to feelings of calm and relaxation. According to the National Health Statistics Reports during 2014–2016, benzodiazepines were prescribed at approximately 65.9 million office-based physician visits. The rates for women prescribed the drug were also higher than the men (at 34 visits per 100 women).
When Pregnant Women Take Xanax
When a woman is pregnant, every choice she makes can affect the baby inside her; from emotional stress to the food she eats and especially the medication she takes. So many of her choices can have an impact on the developing baby. For example, medications like Xanax are known to go through the placenta. The placenta is an organ that develops in your uterus during pregnancy. This structure provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby, which means that taking Xanax can directly affect the fetus. If a pregnant woman takes this drug, the fetus is at risk for conditions like withdrawal and congenital disabilities.
Can Abusing Xanax Affect A Pregnancy?
Abusing Xanax can affect a women’s pregnancy. It can lead to dependence, addiction, maternal and neonatal withdrawal, and congenital disabilities when taken while pregnant. In addition, Xanax can lead to congenital disabilities and withdrawal in babies. Unfortunately, even though this has been researched, up to 33 percent of women still receive drugs like Xanax while pregnant. Usually, this drug has been prescribed to the women for some condition that occurred before the pregnancy.
Because of Xanax’s ability to cause dependency when abused and taken more than prescribed, many women still take it even though Xanax use can put the baby at risk. In addition, when people are dependent on Xanax, they may abuse the substance by taking larger or more frequent doses than prescribed.
What Are The Actual Risks To The Baby During Xanax Addiction?
- Birth Defects
Just like any other drug or alcohol, if a pregnant woman abuses Xanax in the first trimester, the baby could be born with congenital disabilities like cleft palate or inguinal hernia. In addition, some researchers have also discovered a relation between prenatal Xanax abuse and the baby’s head being too small around. This is called microcephaly. Some babies are also born with congenital hip dislocation.
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Withdrawal)
One of the most known risks of Xanax addiction while pregnant is neonatal abstinence syndrome or neonatal withdrawal. If a person takes Xanax throughout their pregnancy, just like if the mother were to stop abruptly and start to go into withdrawals, the baby could also be born suffering from withdrawal.
Signs Of Xanax Withdrawal Symptoms
Xanax is known to have difficult withdrawals. Even among healthy adults, withdrawing from Xanax can lead to life-threatening symptoms such as a seizure. For a newborn baby, these symptoms can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. Symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal) include:
- difficulty sleeping
- sedation
- irritability (excessive crying)
- low heart rate
- trouble sucking/eating
- uneven breathing
- floppy infant syndrome (low muscle tone in head, arms, and legs)
- cyanosis (bluish tint to the skin)
- seizures
How To Avoid Your Baby Having Risks From Xanax
If a baby is born addicted to Xanax, they will likely suffer from symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome. This could interfere with maternal-child bonding. Additionally, babies who suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome may also face long-term risks to their health.
To avoid these long-term risks, it’s vital to stop using Xanax as soon as you learn you are pregnant. The safest way to stop taking Xanax is with the help of a medically assisted detox program.
Start Xanax Treatment Program At Aria Fl
At Addiction Recovery Institute of America, we can help. Xanax addiction is a serious chemical dependency that requires clinical supervision to ensure that a person can safely detox. At ARIA, we have medically-assisted detox programs that provide replacement and comfort medication to ease withdrawal symptoms.
Our Xanax detox in West Palm Beach, Florida, is overseen by an experienced clinical staff that specializes in Xanax addiction recovery. Every person admitted into our comfortable Xanax detox unit will be under the care of state-licensed clinicians, psychiatrists, counselors, and therapists. In addition, each staff member of our cross-disciplinary team works to ensure that our clients are monitored around the clock. So call us and begin healing safely from addiction today.