Painkillers and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is something that couples usually plan for, and it also often comes as a surprise. For those times when the plan is to bring a child into the world, mothers-to-be will take care of their own health and also stop drinking, smoking, and using certain medications for the sake of the baby’s health. Opioid painkillers are usually on that list, and a new study enforces that decision.
Substance use can be a factor in fetal development as early as conception. If a woman uses painkillers, it’s a good idea for her to stop before she’s pregnant. It’s even been suggested that fathers-to-be should not use alcohol or any drugs during this time since they provide half of what will become the child. Pregnant women have been told to abstain from using addictive opioid painkillers to avoid any chance that the child will experience withdrawals at birth.
An article in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinal, CDC warns of high opioid use by women of childbearing age, reveals that there are more pressing reasons to not use opioids during pregnancy. The main focus of the article is how many women of childbearing age are using opioids, but it explores how using them doubles the risk of certain birth defects.
While opioid painkillers have a purpose to relieve severe pain on a short-term basis, they are highly addictive and have been responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths in recent years. This article proves further that these medications should only be used in those cases. You don’t need to take them for minor pain just because they are legal and you can get a prescription.