Using crystal meth during pregnancy has many side effects. Many of these effects do not appear at birth. The results of a crystal meth pregnancy sometimes they appear at 5, 10, or even 15 years of age.
What Is Crystal Meth And Why People Use It
Crystal meth is short for the scientific name Methamphetamine. It is often nicknamed “crystal”, “ice”, or “speed”. It can be injected, smoked, snorted, eaten, or even mixed with a drink. The word crystal is most often used for this drug because that is exactly what it looks like.
Methamphetamine hydrochloride is a central nervous system stimulant that affects neurochemical mechanisms responsible for regulating heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, appetite, attention, mood and responses associated with alertness or alarm conditions.
The reason why people use crystal meth is similar to why you drink coffee or energy drinks; you want to be alert, awake, have stamina and energy. You want to be able to get things done. This is the primary reason why addicts love this drug so much.
The downside of using crystal meth is that it causes hallucinations, twitching of eyes and limbs, tooth decay, paranoia, acne and death just to name a few.
Effects of Crystal Meth
Short term effects of crystal meth use are:
1. Decreased appetite
2. Extended periods of not sleeping,
3. Compulsive behavior, such as doing crossword puzzles for 8 hours straight.
4. Mood swings and irritability
5. Heart palpitations
6. Anxiety
7. Paranoia
8. Tremors and convulsions
9. Excessively fast speech and movements
10. Slurring of words
11. Aggression
The long term effects of crystal meth include:
1. Feeling of bugs crawling on or under the skin
2. Hallucinations and delusions
3. Open sores from picking at the skin
4. Psychosis
5. Brain damage
6. Coma
7. Death
Pregnancy And Crystal Meth Use
Many times, a crystal meth addict will find out she is pregnant. Although there are some who quit crystal meth to protect their unborn child, there are many more who are unwilling or unable to stop.
The effects of a crystal meth pregnancy are too numerous to list, however, crystal meth babies are often premature, have low birth weight, and respiratory distress. High doses of crystal meth may cause a baby’s blood pressure to rise rapidly, leading them to suffer strokes or brain hemorrhages before birth. A crystal meth pregnancy may cause babies to experience gastroschisis and other problems with the development of their intestines. (Gastroschisis is a condition in which a baby is born with a hole in the abdomen, causing the intestines to be outside the body.) A crystal meth pregnancy can cause developmental and skeletal abnormalities such as clubfoot. There have even been reports of a crystal meth pregnancy causing babies to be born without parts of their arms or legs.
As the child grows and starts attending elementary school, teachers will often notice learning disabilities, behavioral problems, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as children not being able to tolerate stimuli such as human touch and light
I have had many friends who have had at least one crystal meth pregnancy and I have noticed that as children get older and develop into teenagers, many of them are diagnosed with mental illnesses and seem to have uncontrollable rage. Unfortunately, I have found no studies to support my suspicions.
Why Pregnant Addicts Continue Using Crystal Meth
Crystal meth is a powerful drug that makes it extremely difficult for anyone to quit. Crystal meth has such a hold on users that the relapse rate according to CBC News is a whopping 92%. That means that even if a mother does quit, the chances of her staying sober is only 8%.
How To Quit Crystal Meth
Get into a rehab immediately and cut off contact with anyone and anything that reminds you of using. There are some drug rehabs that allow you to bring your children with you in the center. Some might wonder how healthy that is, but the children will receive important testing and counseling while they are there. Some drug rehabs only have 30 day programs, while others have inpatient treatments that last up to a year.
Many rehabs are very loving and will help you deal not only with quitting the drug, but with the root causes of why you use crystal meth.
Sources:
CBC News In-depth: Drugs, http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/drugs/crystalmeth.html
Wikipedia: Methamphetamine, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Meth
Drug Free: Crystal Meth Effects, http://www.drugfree.org/portal/drug_guide/crystal%20meth
