Nova Scotia sees an increase in moms on methadone

The number of newborn babies going through methadone withdrawal is on the rise in Nova Scotia and that's a good thing.

It means the babies' mothers have sought help for their addiction through the province's methadone maintenance program. The babies' chances of survival would be greatly reduced if their mothers hadn't asked for help, said Glenda Carson, a perinatal clinical nurse specialist at the IWK Health Centre.

In 2015, 61 women in Nova Scotia were taking methadone while pregnant a number that has grown steadily since 2004 when only five women were on the drug while pregnant, according to the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

It's not clear why that number is growing. Carson said it may be a combination of factors including more people developing addictions and the spread of methadone programs across the province.

The health authority said more than 8,000 women in Nova Scotia get pregnant each year.

Methadone is a liquid, legal opioid that is often intended to take the place of illicit narcotics in addicts.

Carson said most of the pregnant women she treats are on methadone to cope with a drug addiction, however some women are on methadone to deal with chronic pain.

"There's not a lot of evidence that the methadone creates any kind of hazards to health for mom and baby," she said. "There's often more benefits."

Withdrawal can hurt mom and baby

Treating a mom-to-be with methadone is less dangerous than having her suffer through drug withdrawal while pregnant, Carson said.

• Nova Scotia pushing more opioid addicts to methadone, away from detox

Withdrawal from a drug while pregnant causes extra stress on the mother and child and can endanger them both. Methadone helps babies grow and gives them a better chance at a healthier outcome, Carson said.

Despite the benefits, women who have seek help for their addiction during pregnancy can face judgment. Julia Brown, 40, knows how that feels. The British Columbia woman used methadone throughout her recent pregnancy.

"For so many people, being on methadone is what gave their baby life," she said, adding it's what makes some babies well enough to be born.

'You're just a junkie'

Brown said most of the nurses who worked with her in B.C. were very helpful, but she felt some didn't understand addiction.

"They assumed you didn't care about your baby," she said.

Brown said she has spoken to other mothers who have taken methadone.

"They experienced a lot of angry backlash, from people that are saying like 'How dare you even have a child if you're on methadone, you're just a junkie.'"

Long fight with addiction

Brown has struggled with addictions to heroin and crystal meth, and at one point she was so badly addicted she was living on the street. She has been on methadone since 2001, and has turned her life around in recent years.

She now lives with her partner and her nine-month-old baby. Brown is hoping to wean herself off methadone over the next two years.

Dalhousie University nursing professor Jean Hughes said a mother on methadone is not impaired and can raise her own child. Hughes was part of a research team that examined the impact of a methadone treatment program on mothers suffering from addiction.

Babies can recover within a week

Getting methadone treatment can help people get control of their lives, according to Carson.

"Whatever their circumstances [or] the driving forces behind the addiction, they may be forced to use street or illicit drugs," she said.

• Health minister vows national plan to combat opioid crisis

"When they become pregnant we can actually get them into treatment, into programs and recovery and because they're coming from prenatal care they're actually given a little more support around the addiction."

In the postpartum unit, around half of babies born into withdrawal now don't need medication and are usually discharged after five to seven days and are perfectly healthy, Carson said.

In most cases, babies just need time and comfort to eliminate their dependence on methadone. In some cases, a baby will need medication to help it recover and will require a longer stay in hospital.