Can A heroin user's sperm create a drug addicted baby?

Answer 1

Answer

It all depends if the mother has been addicted during pregnancy.

Answer

Yes. Heroin is a physically addictive drug (meaning, a round-the-clock user who suddenly quits will suffer physical withdrawal symptoms). So, babies can -- and are -- born addicted to heroin.

Crack cocaine (and regular cocaine), on the other hand, are not physically addictive (there are no physical withdrawal symptoms). A woman who smokes crack (or does regular cocaine) during pregnancy puts her baby at risk for all kinds of birth defects and health problems, but a baby cannot be born addicted to crack or cocaine, because crack and cocaine are not physically addictive.

Answer 2

I have raised my grandson since birth.Born addicted to heroin and cocaine,after 15 days of withdraws I was able to bring him home.I raised him in a calm environment,canope over his crib,constant fan sound in his room (for 8 yrs)helping him to sleep.Singing,rocking,holding and massaging him,long very warm baths for the first 2 yrs.Stayed away from floresent lighting(grocery stores,etc)as much as possible.Calming music a big plus.Dr claims he had never seen a child recover so remarkably.Now my son 11yr has had no contact with birth mother or her family knows me as mama.His life has been easier to cope with this way.If it comes up I will explain to him what happened to him in utero but life is hard enough and knowing your mother drugged herself and him everyday during her pregnancy and had no desire or interest in his life serves little purpose.To be a child free of this stress has been very helpful.He knows nothing and simple just enjoys being a kid.His eyesight 20/400 damaged by the drugs,slow learning,slow clumsy gait all due to exposure to drugs in utero.This means sports are difficult so we focus on music and art talents.He lacks the ability to know when to stop or maintain self control,often does not wipe after bowel movement,must be reminded constantly about simple tasks.He has a gift for saying nice things to others ,an ear for music and excellant taste in many areas of life.One can only imagine how his live could have been without the drug exposure without having had to fight for his life at birth(septis,microsephylis,excessive smallness of the head due to cocaine,premature)loss of sight due to drug exposure and questions of m.r. The Lord carries and protects him. 11 yrs later he shows fewer signs of the trama and with continued prayers will show still fewer in his future. Jennifer

Answer 3

Whatever the mother of the child eats, drinks, inhales etc, the child eats, drinks inhales etc because it is all passed through the unbillical cord to the baby. So when the mother takes drugs, they are passed to the baby. It's genetics.

Answer 4

Whatever the mother ingests is bound to be ingested by the baby as well. Any physically addictive substance is so because it alters long-term brain functioning to need the substance for normal functioning. Thus when the mother ingests a physically addictive drug, the baby ingests it as well and can become addicted to it while in the womb.

Answer 5

The placenta surrounding a baby in utero is a permeable barrier; it synthesizes nourishment from the mother's bloodstream to feed the baby. If the mother is actively addicted to heroin, the baby is exposed to the drug every single time she uses it. The baby is helpless against the rapid chemical dependency (addiction) that results thereafter.

Answer 6

A heroin addiction is extremely powerful. If you are pregnant and addicted to H you need to see if you can get into a methadone treatment facility IMMEDIATELY. This is NOT a joke. That baby is at serious risk if not given the proper care, preventative treatment and supervision. You need to tell your dr/dr's *(if you have one) what is going on. If you do not have a dr or clinic you need to find one. When the baby is born and tested for drugs if that test comes back positive they are required by law to notify child protective services. However, if you are in a methadone treatment and/or maintenance program CPS will simply oversee your case (in most cases) and ensure that you are helping to wean the infant off of the drugs. Heroin is very addictive and they will typically have to place the infant on methadone or phenobarbital to wean them, sometimes they have to use morphine, fentenyl and or other combinations to ease the babies symptoms. Some infants will have to remain in the hospital until they are totally weaned off the highly controlled drugs (morphine, fentenyl, methadone- depends on the hospital and dr). Most babies are prone to screaming fits that can last minutes to hours depending on the addiction and prevention that was taken. Their little bodies can lock up while they are screaming, this is due to the withdrawals. Even on powerful drugs to help them withdrawal they are still vunerable to withdrawal symptoms. Imagine how miserable you feel with you start to go off the heroin? Imagine that in a little body of only 5-9 pounds? The baby can also have a very low birth weight and (from experience) I have seen a lot of cases where the fluid drops to drastically low levels, which is why it is so important to have a dr. Remember if you go to a methadone clinic you are being proactive and this will be looked upon with favor by a court of law and/or dr./clinic because you are trying to help your precious little one without being forced to help them. I wish you all of the best

Answer 7

Negatively.

Answer 8

No.