Methamphetamine Exposure in Babies

jopacheco (5) 26 Oct 2007 11:05 PM

Hi Mj! When you say "As a mom of two meth exposed babies, "I agree with much of what these studies have found", I am confused. Both of your babies show different attributes and different behaviors. All of these behaviors of which you speek are relevent to many children; meth babies or not. So, why do you bother to input? I only complain because I was looking for behaviors I could look for in my OWN child for similarities. And your site was not only no help, but took up a lot of my time because i felt i had to respond to tell you how your comments were misleading. Thanks for nothing. Abby R!!!!!!!

Pam Connell (2658) 28 Oct 2007 01:53 PM

Jopacheco--

Meth, like alcohol, can have very different effects on babies depending on when during their fetal development they were exposed and on many other factors. (Think about alcohol's effect on adults--some become sleepy while others become loud. Adults also have different side effects to prescription medications depending on their own metabolisms and body chemistry.)

It is true that some children are naturally fussier or slower to develop, etc. When there are several symptoms and/or more intense symptoms, sometimes it is helpful to know that these may be a result of substance exposure.

I know it is so frustrating as a parent to be searching for information for why a child struggles. The link MJ included contains many, many site resources and articles which may give you more complete information.

However, your comments to MJ were unnecessarily harsh. MJ did not claim to be a substance abuse expert; she is an adoptive parent sharing her experience, a very brief summary of her research, and resource links with other parents.

light28 (5) 13 Aug 2008 05:54 AM

I am a recoverying meth addict. It is not easy to get off of meth. It takes hitting rock bottom!!! My second son was born positive with meth in his system. I used meth during his whole pregnancy. Very very sad but true. I was even in to manufactureing methamphetamine during pregnancy. I PRAISE MY FATHER IN HEAVEN that he came out as though meth was never in his system. It was though my body filtered out all the drugs and didn't allow it to touch him. Thats how Good my God is!!!!! I lost custody of my two children of course and I know have custody of my son that was bron with meth in his system. And I am in the process of seeing my daughter now. The moral to this story is if I can get sober (someone so hooked thay couldn't stop using during pregnancy) THAN ANY ONE CAN!! There is hope!!!!

There is a website out to help recovering meth addicts ... check it out ... Its www.christian-meth-support-live.com

Pam Connell (2658) 18 Aug 2008 05:23 PM

Thank you for sharing your positive story of recovery, and congratulations--recovery is a lot of work! Best wishes to you and your family, Pam.

ashley94 (5) 25 Oct 2008 09:30 PM

im sick of everyone blameing the drugs . these so called mothers don't care about these beautifull babies .they are the only ones to blame not the drug but them. no one made them do this they did this only them . they just didn't care or love the baby. im sorry but it just makes me sick that this weman keep blameing every one but them selfs..

cascms (5) 27 Oct 2008 09:50 AM

My husband and I have the possibility of adopting an infant that has been exposed to meth and tested positive at birth. Thus, the reason for my researching the issue for as much knowledge as possible. At this point they state his only withdrawal sympton is difficulty in feeding/fussy. These articles have helped me know what we can expect if in fact we are able to adopt this little boy. Thank you.

Pam Connell (2658) 27 Oct 2008 10:58 PM

Hi Cascms,

Congratulations on your possible adoption! I am certainly not an expert on prenatal drug exposure and babies, but I can share one very positive story: when I became friends with the mother of the brightest child in my children's preschool, I learned that that child had been drug-exposed prenatally. I believe the mother said she had a difficult first couple of months, but she sure seemed fine after that.

I have read that sometimes babies exposed to drugs have a harder time initially after birth, but actually seem to face fewer problems later on (by school-age) than the kids whose mothers ingested "only" alcohol.

dragonluvr (5) 19 Nov 2008 04:47 PM

I have a 19 month old son we have adopted and after our visit to the doctor today we now know he is a meth baby. our doctor was extremely helpful in explaining the symptoms kev was having. he has fits of frustration, pulls his hair, screams, has sleeping problems, and every day is an adventure in eating will he eat today or not? at least i know what the problem is, and now can start to figure out how to help kev. kev also is ADHD. this whole time we never understood why he would get ear infections every month, why he couldn't get rid of his cold for weeks now i know his immune system is compromised due to the meth. since we changed to this doctor i understand more about my son and have the ability to help him through this. but if it wasn't for finding this doctor i'd still be confussed, exhusted, and in tears. i know we have all the love in the world for kev and now we have the support we need to help him.

A L (20) 03 Jan 2009 01:09 AM

Hi. My adopted daughter (at birth) tested pos for meth. She is now almost 9 yrs. She seemed very healthy and normal till she turned about 3. She started having raging tantrums and lots of aggression. She has gotten even worse over the years. We have tried many types of therapy and two different meds, but they have not been the answer. At 4 I was told she was not ADHD.

However, I'm writing here because there is little research and first-hand data on these kids' developmental challenges and needs. What research now exists speaks to the fact that these kids can develop behavioral and social probs later, at school age and increase in intensity. So at first they seem normal, then remind me of the old Irish legend of a changling...

I am now trying to get into a new psychiatrist for assessment and reconsider ADHD. My daughter was on Abilify for a short while, which was useless and scary (it's a heavy psychotic drug!!). Then, we put her on a very low dose of blood pressure med, which seemed to help give her space between stimulus and immediate reaction. Wasn't perfect, but did help some.

I've been applying some new therapy that is eking out progress. [Books by Heather T. Forbes] Quite a different approach, and is very grueling to change your own actions/reactions, but has been like a lightbulb going on for me. I have hope that the med adjustment and this new approach can help her. And, believe me, I could use something besides hopelessness. I love her so!!!

Apologies for the long post, but I thought it might be helpful to shed light on my findings and discoveries.

A L (20) 04 Jan 2009 01:18 AM

One other point - my daughter has sensory defensiveness, especially auditory. She went through therapy called something like Auditory Integration Training or AIT and it truly helped!!

karen7432 (5) 06 Feb 2009 12:21 AM

AL - Your situation is almost exactly like mine. We adopted a boy and he acted normal until he reached age 3. He 8 years old. He was also on Abiility, but it did not work. He also has raging tantrums. I wish we could talk more. I wrote down the name of the author you talked about.

Pam Connell (2658) 07 Feb 2009 05:53 PM

Karen and AL: thanks for writing--here is the link to a blog my coworker wrote about parenting the hurt child. It's not exclusively about meth exposure but it might be worth checking into some of the ideas for reaching children whose brains may work a bit differently . http://adoption.families.com/blog/book-review-parenting-the-hurt-child

Also, here's a blog I wrote on a book written by a mother of a teen affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. It has very specific information on the techniques and therapies this family has used.

There is so much we don't know about meth. I hope you will continue to share your experiences with our readers.

centraloregonmom (295) 13 Feb 2009 09:44 AM

We fostered a "meth baby" for over a year starting when she was about 16 months old. She is now a very successful member of a wonderful adoptive family. One of the hardest things we dealt with when trying to prepare information for a forever family was the feeling of the unknown. I did quite a bit of research into meth and at the time (4 years ago) all the studies on the effect on kids were done from the perspective of the child living in the meth house, not prenatal exposure. I know they are now studying the horrible effects on the fetus, but it's too late for many families to be able to learn from- they are too busy living it! One suggestion made to me was to document everything so that down the road, other families can learn from what you and your child have gone through. The biggest problem with studying meth exposure is that every batch of meth is a little bit different. Did they use battery acid or bleach that time? Pseudophedrine or the real thing? And do those changes make a difference when it comes to the fetus' exposure? It's not like most other drugs that is typically grown or sold the same way everywhere, this is man's handywork.

Pam Connell (2658) 15 Feb 2009 03:50 PM

Here's the link I mentioned above: http://adoption.families.com/blog/help-for-kids-with-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder

Thanks Gina for pointing out that difference in what different "meth babies" actually ingest. I hadn't even thought of it. That is a big difference between cocaine and other substances.

I wonder if anti-drug programs in school specifically ask if the kids would be willing to ingest bleach or battery acid?

KathleenR (5) 26 Feb 2009 08:57 AM

I am the adoptive mom of a child (age 11) whose birthmom used meth while pregant. She is irritable, moody, impulsive and easily bored. She has a hard time focusing. She also has anxiety issues. She tested negative for ADHD (she is not hyper but I thought her inability to focus might have been an ADD thing). My biggest concern is her difficulty learning. She is smart, but it is like she has black holes in her brain. She can learn something one day and it is gone the next. Now that she is in 5th grade, she is really struggling. I have tried for almost 2 years to have her approved for special ed, but she needs a "medical diagnosis". It is very frustrating. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a medical diagnosis, but there is no known diagnosis for children who were exposed to meth in-utero. I was wondering if any of you knew of any support groups for parents of children who were exposed to meth during pregnancy. It would be great to have others to chat with for support.

tands (5) 26 Feb 2009 05:43 PM

We are wanting to adopt two brothers who were both born positive for Meth. This is the information we have. The oldest boy will be 5 in July and has early interventions to help him communicate more effectively. The younger boy will be 2 next month has early interventions to help with texture and feeding issues and he also works with a Physical Therapist. We have tried to find out what "texture and feeding" issues may be, why is PT working with him and what communicate more effectively mean? Can anyone help us. We wouldn't be so worried except we have a 6 year old boy and want to do right by all three.

Pam Connell (2658) 04 Mar 2009 01:51 PM

Hi Kathleen and Tands,

I'll try to find more on diagnoses for kids with meth exposure.

Tands--my daughter didn't have feeding issues but when she was in the toddler early intervention program there were some kids who were extreme in either avoiding or craving tactile stimulation like touch, finger painting, water play, etc. There were also some kids who had feeding issues such as not tolerating certain types of food. There were feeding therapists on staff there, and all the kids in the program used devices that looked like bumpy toothbrushes to "stimulate their gums" before snack time.

I would definitely want to find out whether "communicate effectively" means speech and language issues only, or if they mean that he acts out when he's frustrated, grieving, angry etc. and "communicate effectively" means he needs to learn appropriate ways of handling emotions.

I would press for as much information as possible before you make a commitment. If possible, try to have the information reviewed by an independent doctor and psychologist.

centraloregonmom (295) 08 Mar 2009 08:05 PM

Kathleen- The foster daughter I mentioned above also seemed to have "black holes" as you mentioned. I wouldn't have put it that way at the time, but I know exactly what you're talking about. The first 6 months she lived with us, she consistently ran into the corner of the dining room table. It would happen several times a week... it was like she kept forgetting it was in that same exact spot each day. She had trouble "learning from her mistakes" as most kids do. I liked to use the term "swiss cheese brain" (like in Quantum Leap, the old TV show), because she would have to experience something over and over and over again to remember it.

Tands- I agree with Pam, to get a pediatrician experienced in Meth effected babies to look over the information you have. I will add: if the children are in foster care you should be allowed to speak directly with their foster parents, or whoever is directly involved in their daily care. Case workers can be great people (I have worked with some great ones), but they are often overloaded and under staffed and aren't able to get to know the child as deeply as you'd hope, they won't be able to comment as honestly. Also, I have known some caseworkers to gloss over some issues just to get the child moved on... like I said, I have known some great ones, but also some not so great ones. Our foster daughter needed to learn how to "communicate effectively" - if you want to call it that - she would "stimulate her gums" on my other children. My son was usually the victim of her biting and my daughter was hit several times with flying toys. Not to scare anyone away... I really think drug effected children can be incredibly rewarding, but make sure you are going into it with your eyes open. As far as the OT/PT, that is actually really common for kids suffering from all sorts of effects... my micro-premie daughter spent 7 years in therapy- and that relationship you can forge with a good OT or PT can be a lifesaver when you need good advice on how to deal with something really specific. (In theory) That person will be the next best expert on your child aside from yourself. I am a huge proponent of early intervention and therapy (whether it be OT, PT, or speech and feeding). My daughter had texture and feeding issues, and after 4 years we were able to have her feeding tube taken out. She (at nearly 9) now is my best eater, she loves to experience new foods and most people can't tell she had feeding issues when she was younger.

A L (20) 09 Mar 2009 04:42 PM

Hi everyone. Here is an update. I finally found another psyc, since we have moved far from the last. She recommended my now-9 year-old go on a stimulant (like Ritilin) because of the lack of impulse control and the difficulty in focusing. I would say she's ADD, but not ADHD, since she is not hyper. Long story short, she's doing sooooo much better! Even her handwriting changed, she's not a behavior problem in school, she's liking doing her homework again (miraculous!). The teachers and parent aids have all given me feedback about how she's so much happier and helpful.

But please know this is not to treat everything. I have followedd up on the Beyond Consequences book and went to the Live seminar, which I highly recommend! I'll attach the url at the bottom. I cried through the first half, realizing how very tough I've been with her these last 5 years and how she is responding better to a more loving, tender, tolerant approach. It really taxes me, as I am authoritarian by nature, but we have no more rages! No more screaming! There is still crying, whining and sass, but we're ekeing out progress and I'll take any we can get!!! Here is the website. When you buy the book, the conference is free. Here are the next dates: 3/28 Denver, CO, 4/24 NY, 7/11 Chicago, and in between are some dad and mom events, as well as instructor trainings. http://www.beyondconsequences.com/events.html

Heather Forbes is also an adoptive parent, found herself losing conrol of her life and home and so can truly relate to the crazy chaos that we all live through. I found her believable and her approach is resonating with my daughter and I. Even my fiance, whom I dragged there, was impressed and it's begun to help him see that my child is not the devil, but just a child who has some broken parts that CAN be fixed with love, tolerance and intelligence.

I am thankful to learn of this discussion and that there are others trying to figure this out and share their experiences. It is frustrating trying to search for answers by oneself all the time. Please keep posting!

sclark1139 (5) 13 Aug 2009 07:20 PM

AL - Your story is so familiar that it's scary. We adopted a baby girl that had been exposed to meth, cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. She came to live with us straight from the hospital so she has never lived with anyone but us. Some people say that the environment these children are raised in makes all the difference but I'm not so sure of that now. We have never been and are not drug addicts. We have provided a loving, supportive and Christian home for our child but the damage was there prior to her ever entering this world, sad but true.

Angel is now 5 1/2 years old. In the beginning, everything seemed normal, but just recently things have been changing. Instead of occasional raging tantrums, she is now experiencing these almost every day. Anything can set her off and I have to admit that I am not handling it very well. I have just this week talked to a new physician that I believe will be very beneficial in helping us figure out the next step. Unlike your daughter, at least for now, Angel is doing great in school. She previously attended a church for preschool and pre-k and has just started all day in public Kindergarten. She has always performed well academically and has the best behavior in a school environment. Unfortunately, the way things have been changing this summer with her behavior, we are afraid this won't last long at school and are now seeking medical/psychological advise so that it doesn't hit us unexpectedly...at least we are gonna try.

I jsut wanted to say thank you for sharing your stories and giving me hope. God bless you and your family!

A L (20) 14 Oct 2009 10:28 PM

Hi sclark1139,

Yes, it does sound familiar. As an update, I had her go through a Neuropsychiatric assessment by a leading dr @ Stanford, just so that I could get an overview on all challenges from someone who knows both sides (neurological and psychiatric sides).

He confirmed everything we've done and that she has ADHD. In fact, he was confused as to why two other drs had told me outright that she didn't. They thought it had to do with control over when/where she had her tantrums - mostly with me alone when she was young. He said that was absolutely not how you determine ADHD. It has more to do with impulsivity and executive function issues. Wish I had pushed harder!

She also has a very high level of anxiety and so we are now treating that with something called Mirtazapine (Remeron??) instaed of the Zoloft that can offset the eating/sleeping challenges with the Daytrana patch. So far she is sleeping like her old self again and seems a bit calmer her teacher told me. The lack of eating during the day is still a challenge but we just tonight put her on a full dose. Always, easy does it in little steps. This "feels" right and we are starting to have good times again.

Two other things: she has some trauma from loss of her father at a young age and then my horrible illness soon thereafter. I fully recovered, but she detached quite a bit, not trusting the world. This adds another dimension, but the approaches are still the same with Beyond Consequences.

The second thing is that I treat my daughter as if she still has training wheels on. If she wants me to help her brush her teeth, get dressed, play game after game, whatever, I try to do it as much as I can and give her my undivided attention. I'm not perfect and believe me, I'm soooo bored of playing board games, but the bonding, trust-building and opportunity for wonderful discussions/conversations is priceless.

I hope anyone dealing with these challenging children can get to that peaceful space to recognize how amazing these kids are - usually very bright and creative, that's how they are able to survive instead of shut down.

Find out why certain behaviors push your buttons - trace them back to old hurts, bad times, and then let those go. It's hard to explain, but now that I realized why her screaming made me irate, I was able to let it go. It had nothing to do with her. I just love her.

Apologies for the long post, but this has and will continue to be a journey for us (she and I) to help her become the best person she can be. I remind myself that I signed up for this "job" and that I truly love being a mom.

You sound very loving, too. Make sure you get rest, support, and continue to educate you and those around you on what is best for you and your child.

I wish you all the best and would love to hear how things progress. I need to keep learning from others, too!

Pam Connell (2658) 22 Oct 2009 07:47 PM

AL--it's so good to hear of the hopeful things happening for you and your family. Thanks for the update!