Dangers of Drug Use When Breastfeeding

Dangers of Drug Use When Breastfeeding Addiction Drug Use Print Dangers of Drug Use When Breastfeeding By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Meredith Shur, MD on December 04, 2014 Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner. Learn about our Medical Review Board Meredith Shur, MD Updated on September 20, 2019 WANDER WOMEN COLLECTIVE / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In general, breastfeeding is considered to be the best way to feed your baby during their first year of life. However, if you need to take medications or have an addiction to substances like recreational drugs or alcohol, you could harm your body. Its important to be upfront with your doctor with what medications or substances you use.  Your physician can help you decide what to do. Factors to Consider Before prescribing a medication, your doctor will consider:How much of the drug is excreted in your breast milkThe risk of short and longterm adverse (harmful) effects on your baby Drug Excretion in Breast Milk and Your Babys Exposure How much of the drug is excreted in your breast milk depends on the characteristics of the drug and how it enters your breast milk from your blood plasma. The milk-to-plasma drug concentration ratio relates to the proportion of the drug that is in your breast milk. However, this ratio varies over time, so it is not an absolute measure. Also, other factors affect how much of the drug is in an individuals breast milk. The actual level of exposure of the drug to the baby can be estimated by assuming the baby will drink a specific amount of milk per day, although, in reality, this varies. This is compared with the therapeutic dose of the drug, and the rate of clearance of the drug by the baby is also taken into accountâ€"the lower the level of clearance, the higher the babys exposure to the drug. For most drugs, it is not known at what level a dose will produce no effects on the baby. Therefore, a level of 10 percent of the therapeutic dose for infants (or the equivalent dose for adults, adjusted by body weight) is used. If the baby receives a dosage of less than 10% the drug exposure is generally be considered to be unimportant (although there are exceptions). Obviously, these calculations become a lot more difficult if you are using street drugs  because the concentrations of active ingredients are largely unknown. But your physician will be able to discuss the best course of action for you and your baby, including a safe plan for reducing and coming off drugs. There is more information on street drugs as well as legal and prescription drugs below. LactMed Data on Drugs and Chemicals in Breast Milk Research on the risk of harmful effects on infants from drugs in breast milk is sparse. It would be unethical to conduct a controlled study that might put a baby at risk by deliberately giving a breastfeeding mother drugs. However, there is some research available on babies whose mothers were already taking drugs while breastfeeding. The U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains a LactMed database on the most current information on adverse effects of drugs in breast milk. You can search their database for any drug or substance. A peer review panel scrutinizes the data. Here is what LactMed reports on the research of some common drugs in breast milk and their risks. Which Medications Are Safe to Take While Breastfeeding? Cocaine Cocaine and its breakdown products pass from the mother into the breast milk and babies are very sensitive to these substances. Babies exposed to cocaine through breast milk may experience extreme irritability, tremulousness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Marijuana/Cannabis Using marijuana and cannabis products when  breastfeeding  brings concerns that the neurotransmitter effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can affect the childs nervous system. One long-term study found that frequent use (daily or nearly daily) may cause delays in motor development. The effects of THC on the mother may impair her judgment and ability to care for the infant. Marijuana Use When Breastfeeding Methadone Methadone can cause sedation, respiratory depression, and  withdrawal  in babies who ingest it through breast milk. At higher doses, this is enough to cause death. However, some reports suggest that up to 20 milligrams per day may be taken by the mother while breastfeeding, while others suggest up to 80 milligrams per day. Methadone concentrations should be monitored in both the mothers breast milk and the babys blood if the mother is taking more than 20 milligrams of methadone a day. Buprenorphine has been suggested as a safer alternative. Alcohol Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding is not recommended. If you have successfully abstained from alcohol while pregnant, dont start drinking again while breastfeeding. If you have consumed alcohol during pregnancy, your child is at risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), so talk to your doctor as soon as possible about referring your child for early intervention, which may help your child with learning and development. Can You Drink Alcohol if Youre Breastfeeding? Research shows that babies nursed after the mother has had one or two drinks may  have agitation, poor sleep patterns, and  reduced milk intake, and the mother may have reduced milk ejection. Having one glass of wine or beer per day and waiting 2 to 2.5 hours before nursing is believed to be unlikely to cause problems. In general, alcohol is harmful to the brains and bodies of people regardless of their age, so bear this in mind and act responsibly. Painkillers There are many painkillers on the market, ranging from over-the-counter medications to prescription drugs. Some are known to increase the risk of neurobehavioral depression in babies exposed through breastmilk. Talk to your physician about the safest alternatives for you, and consider non-drug alternatives to pain relief, at least while breastfeeding. Caffeine Caffeine is one of our most widely accepted drugs, so little is written about the effects on babies. However, research says it appears in the breast milk soon after the mother drinks it. For high caffeine intake, infants have increased irritability and poor sleep patterns. LactMed says that experts recommend mothers limit themselves to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day. The caffeine content of drinks varies, so this may be as little as two to three cups of brewed coffee. Also take into account sodas, ice tea, and other sources. Nicotine and Smoking If you are smoking around your baby, you are increasing your babys  risk of conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and asthma, regardless of whether you are breastfeeding. Quitting smoking is strongly advisable. However, using nicotine patches and other such replacements also delivers nicotine to the baby through breast milk, and it is the nicotine that is thought responsible for the SIDS risk. Instead, Bupropion is believed to be safe, or the mother could stop smoking without medication. Final Thoughts Remember, the current recommendation is to breastfeed to provide your baby with the best possible start in life. But be honest with yourself about whether it will really provide the best start. Discuss your alcohol and drug use in detail with your doctor, and follow their advice to the letter, especially regarding detox.

Letter of a Father to His Son at Graduation - 960 Words

It’s here and Tyler I am happy for you. But, you moving on to crossmen then college will create a huge void in mine and your mother’s life, Vanessa’s also. Don’t get me wrong we are happy for you and being your father has been a huge joy for me. I know when you graduate and the blur of activity following graduation then going to Crossmen Sunday that we shall never have the same relationship we have had. And I say that not in a bad way at all. It will just be different because you see mom and I have to let you be a man. This is when we find out how well we did and how well you listened. You see now is the point in my life when I look back, with regrets on the fishing trips we never took, on the movies we never went and saw on the hunting trips I never took you on. Even though I swore it would not happen to me it did I wasted many opportunities I should have shared with you. It was not for lack of want to its just that many times life just got in the way. W orking every other weekend, maintain a home and 4 acres etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ there were many reasons that all I appear like excuses to me now. And I apologize from the bottom of heart. While it may not seem like it to you, it has went by way too fast, not just this year but your whole life. From you watching TV in the â€Å"Little House†, to us sitting beside each other not just once but twice at Disney on the Toy Story ride. From hearing your mom telling you that now your â€Å"Clean. Clean† while she dried you after your bath. To being theShow MoreRelatedInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer895 Words   |  4 Pagesclass family in Virginia, McCandless lived with his father, Walt; his mother, Billie; and his sister Carine. Chris was intelligent, athletic, extremely well rounded, and had a natural talent for anything he attempted. After graduating from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree, he tells his family that he plans to â€Å"disappear for a while†. 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He wrote, â€Å"It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent naturalRead More The Kite Runner Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pagesto make it right. Rather, as defined in a letter to Amir by an old family friend, Rahim Khan, redemption is when the guilt from something wrong leads to something good (302). Guilt is a strong incentive in a quest for redemption and it isnt easy to shake. â€Å"There is a way to be good again† Rahim Khan said to Amir in the beginning of the novel, insinuating that there was hope. That there was a way for Amir to have peace with himself and let go of his guilt. This phrase was something that echoed

Energy Drinks Market - 1705 Words

Introduction The objectives of this report are to identify how the Energy Drink market is segmented according to demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. The Energy Drink industry which is dominated by Red Bull and V energy drinks is worth 151 million dollars and is growing by 47% per year. Energy drinks is the fastest growing category in the soft drink market. I have chosen three different companies in this report to analysis which segments they target, Powerade, Red Bull and Coca Cola. Red Bull is the market leader in energy drinks and Coca Cola which is very good at mass marketing has fallen behind and needs to adopt new and exciting marketing techniques to appeal to the younger demographic. I have also selected†¦show more content†¦Red Bull/ Powerade/ Coca Cola Red Bull Red Bull targets generation y. High School and university students trying to cope with study. Also red bull mainly targets male with its original product, On the Red bull website there is two whole sections that specialize in extreme sports and motorsports. This shows that Red bull targets males in generation Y and also in generation X. Red Bull sponsor extreme sporting events such as air racing. Also Red Bull targets segments of the population that have little time and often need a refreshing drink that gives them energy. Red Bull also caters for the health conscience individual and females by producing a low sugar energy drink. This drink which is called Red Bull sugar free comes in a light blue can that would target the female population. Red Bull also target long distance driver, this can be seen when you walk into any petrol station by the size and amount of advertising. 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Farewell to Arms Is a Novel Without Hope Free Essays

Ernest Hemingway’s novel ‘A Farewell to Arms’ shows the destitution of war and the hopelessness of life. Throughout times of hardship and despair, the need to believe in a better future is enhanced, and through the horrors of death and injury, Hemingway implies that all is hopeless. Attempts to find meaning through alcohol and sex proved unsuccessful, societies corruption highlights the absurdity of war, and the love Catherine and Henry felt for each other ended in horror. We will write a custom essay sample on Farewell to Arms Is a Novel Without Hope or any similar topic only for you Order Now During the war, soldiers turned to the simple pleasures of live in a means finding hope and escaping the misery. The constant drinking and journeys to â€Å"bawdy houses† shows the change in moral standards as the need for meaning in life rises, and the social norms change from modesty to going to the â€Å"whorehouse before it shuts† This lowered standards as a result of the soldiers’ position leads the reader to understand that in war, there is no hope; the constant death and destruction leaves soldiers feeling as though they have no purpose in life. The routine death, to the point that a soldier dying is unimportant, shows the brutality of war on the emotions of men. The positive connotations of â€Å"only seven thousand† soldiers dying highlights the hopelessness of life and the need for an outlet from war. While in normal circumstance one could turn to religion as an answer for the reason behind war and how to alleviate oneself from the terror, Henry and his friends believe â€Å"all thinking men are atheists†, and interrupt the priest when he attempts to tell Henry about the Abbruzi. This disruption of spirituality affirms Hemingway’s belief in the falsehood of religion, and shows how in times of war, society changes itself and consequently, all hope of peace and happiness is lost. Once Henry injures himself and is forced to take leave from the war, it is evident to the reader that the world is corrupt, and it drags everyone with it. While in the hospital immediately following his knee being â€Å"blown to bits†, Rinaldi tries to make Henry realise his sacrifice and accept the rewards that come with it. Despite Henry protesting that he was â€Å"blown up† not during battle, but when he was â€Å"eating cheese†, Rinaldi still believes that Henry could â€Å"get a silver† medal of honour. Even though he knew that he had done nothing courageous or even brave, but was rather injured in the most banal way possible, Henry was still able to receive an award that was meant for those who had made a significant sacrifice in war. This medal was meant for the type of hero Hemingway believed in; one that displayed acts of courage, endurance and stoicism. Hemingway, through Henry, implies that he does not believe in the glorification of war, as he sees it as an incentive for people to continue fighting. This continuation of war only leads to more despair, and ultimately, a life devoid of hope and meaning. vidence Much like in the hospital, at the races, Hemingway once again shows the reader the corruption of the world and the hopelessness that is brought about as a result of it. When Catherine and Henry realise that the race is corrupt and one horse is assured of victory, they decide to â€Å"pool† all their money together and back it. Although once they do not win as much as they hoped, their mindset towards cheating is reversed, and suddenly, Catherine â€Å"does not like this crooked† racing. It can be concluded that people don’t care about the unauthenticity of life, as long as it benefits them. Even Catherine, a woman used to balance Henry’s faults and teach him lessons as a result of her loss, is dragged into the corruption of the world. These acts of corruption highlight the inability of man to act in a truly righteous way, and extinguish all hope of an honest society. While there is an overall feeling of hopelessness, some can be found in the relationship between Henry and Catherine. Their love inspires them to look towards the future, planning and hoping to â€Å"go somewhere† when â€Å"the war is over†. While the â€Å"many long nights in Milan† provided the couple with everlasting memories and hope for the future, the inevitable, and sudden, ending of their relationship further reinforces Hemingway’s view of a hopeless society. The single emotion that can provide some sense of hope and prospect for the future inflicts more pain than any other as a result of the passion and intensity of love the couple felt for each other. When Henry hears the news of Catherine’s haemorrhage and that the death of the woman he loves is imminent, he tries anything possible to end her pain, even turning to religion, a belief he had criticised on many occasion. Even though he believed that he had â€Å"outlived (his) religious feeling†, he pleaded with god to not â€Å"let her die† The repetition of this prayer allows the reader to see the maturity Henry has develop; he has turned from a man who was in a relationship purely because he wanted to â€Å"play the game†, into someone with empathy and real care for a woman. The joy of â€Å"waking and not knowing who it was† with him had left him, and he had developed true affection for Catherine. The strong connection the couple shared made Catherine’s death even more difficult, and reinforces the harsh view of society that Hemingway believed. Death’s winged chariot† took all that had meaning from Henry’s life, and left him a â€Å"cracked† and â€Å"broken† man in a world that was ‘cooked’. ‘A Farewell to Arms’ predominately presents a hopeless and cynical view of the war and life itself, but hope doe s appear as a result of the love between Henry and Catherine. Hope is seen as futile through the soldiers’ actions, the corruption of the world, and the inevitable heartache as a result of Catherine’s death and from this it is evident that the only bit of justice left in the world is love, assuming that it too is not dragged down by war. How to cite Farewell to Arms Is a Novel Without Hope, Papers

World Vision, My Vision free essay sample

It must have been at least four years ago when I stumbled out of the church sanctuary and into the quaint, sunlit, foyer. The pastor was a brilliant man but at my age, his messages seemed to pass right overhead. As a result I would sneak glances at the clock behind me, counting down the minutes praying, yes, praying that his sermon would be over quickly. As I waited impatiently, my fingers would twitch and my legs would swing back and forth occasionally hitting the occupied chair in front of me at which point I would shift my head nonchalantly in the opposite direction as if nothing had happened. Finally the pastor ended in prayer and I jumped up in glorious exaltation because the service was finally over. I ran to the foyer as my parents lingered to chat with friends. I glanced around and seeing no faces I recognized, I slowly drifted over to a table in the corner with a sign that read, â€Å"Sponsor a Child Today. We will write a custom essay sample on World Vision, My Vision or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † The table was covered with numerous pamphlets with various children that were available to be sponsored. I began rifling through the pictures as if they were the latest video game until I came across one of the happiest children I have ever seen. His name was Oscar and he was one day older than my brother. We took Oscar home that Sunday joyously, for less than a dollar a day. It was not long before I could barely remember his name. His picture was tacked innocently on our bulletin board, his dirty clothes barely clinging to his small, fragile frame. He should not have had a smile on his face but there he was, showing off his discolored teeth without a care in the world. I walked past his picture every day noticing him less and less. Pictures are sent to us not to show off what our child looks like but to remind us that we are sponsoring that child. We need to be reminded because it is so easy to forget, to be consumed with our own miniscule problems that we forget about the poverty and distress in our world. We forget that there are people worse off than us. Our wants and desires are insatiable and we take for granted every right, freedom and every opportunity that we are blessed with. We turn our heads and give third worlds and struggling nations not as much attention as they deserve instead deciding to bury our heads into our expensive houses, fast cars, fashionable clothing, big screen TVs and our finances sitting in the bank, gaining interest far too slowly. I am not saying everyone is like this nor am I excluding myself, for God knows I looked at Oscar’s picture today for the first time in a long time. His letters came every few months and I skimmed them over quickly never taking the time to write him back. I would leave that to my sister and when she did not do it either, my mom ended up filling up the space on the card. I guess I was just too busy playing X Box or going to a movie with all my friends. Thirty dollars came out of the bank e ach month wasn’t that good enough? No. Not even close. We cannot just fund other people’s lives and hope they turn out better. They need our time and hands to help create a better world for everyone. People say money is the root of all evil. Others say money brings happiness. I know first hand from my own experience that money tears apart families and destroys important friendships and relationships. It creates rifts and judgement in our lives creating more problems then solutions. We judge people based on what they wear, what they drive; ultimately everything that can be bought is judged. We make assumptions based on these initial judgements and can treat people differently than they should be treated as an outcome. Money exemplifies greed, and greed creates a world where thousands of people die daily from malnutrition, disease, and harsh living environments, just to name a few. Millions of people scavenge for food wanting only their basic needs to be met. What do w e want? More than what we already have which is too much. We are presented with innumerable opportunities daily such as work and education. What we do not realize is that the people who do not have these choices or are denied them would pay every last cent to have the opportunities that present themselves to us every day. Since they are so readily available to us, we push them aside because, well, there is always tomorrow right? I honestly believe if everyone had a chance to be the sick diseased man, the young inexperienced mother, or the parentless child, draped in filthy, torn, rags while limping on blistered, tired feet and swishing dirty water between their blackened teeth, then this world may just open up a little more and provide more attention and assistance to those who need it most. From war torn nations to even those that are homeless in our own city anything can help but before we can get to we, it starts with me. Dear Oscar, I’m sorry I did not write sooner†¦

Crime and prison population essays

Crime and prison population essays The answer to this question is astounding: the U.S. incarcerates 25% of the worlds prison population with only 7% of the worlds population. This is a disturbing anamoly in the history of the world. Never before has a country been able to incarcerate so many people at such a high rate, two million and 1 in 127 respectively. These large numbers are incredibly difficult to think about in meaningful terms. But if you can imagine the population of Los Angeles in 1950; and if you then put all of those people in some type of cage, you are close to contemplating the immensity of the U.S. incarcerated population. The incredibly important and disturbing factor is how fast this occurred. Todays level of roughly two million was achieved mainly since 1980 when there was about 500,000 people incarcerated. California illustrates how this growth has occurred over a relatively short period of time. Since 1977, the California Department of Corrections (CDCs) prison population has increased from 17,338 to 160,655, over a seven hundred percent increse. If you add the people in Californias federal prisons and county jails, California leads the country with around 258,000 people in prison or jail. When we color these numbers, the problem becomes clearer: of the prison population, African Americans constitute almost one third while they represent 6% of the population. Said another way, 1,996 in every 100,000 African American Californians are imprisoned in comparison to the 242 whites in every 100,000. Latinos, proportionally, have suffered the brunt of Californias prison boom. In 1977, 42% of the prison population was white and 22% was Latino. The two groups are approaching a full reversal because today Latinos represent 35% of the state prison population whereas whites now represent 2 9%. A total reversal appears likely if you look at the juvenile halls in Los Angeles County, where 1,100 of the 1,800 ...

Definition and Types of Illocutionary Force

Definition and Types of Illocutionary Force In speech-act theory, illocutionary force  refers to a speakers intention in delivering an utterance  or to the kind of illocutionary act the speaker is performing. Also known as an illocutionary function  or illocutionary point. In Syntax: Structure, Meaning, and Function (1997), Van Vallin and LaPolla state that illocutionary force refers to whether an utterance is an assertion, a question, a command or an expression of a wish. These are different types of illocutionary force, which means that we can talk about interrogative illocutionary force, imperative illocutionary force, optative illocutionary force, and declarative illocutionary force. The terms illocutionary act and illocutionary force were introduced by British linguistic philosopher John L. Austin in How to Do Things With Words (1962). Examples and Observations Illocutionary Act and Illocutionary Force [A]n illocutionary act refers to the type of function a speaker intends to accomplish in the course of producing an utterance. It is an act accomplished in speaking and defined within a system of social conventions. Thus, if John says to Mary Pass me the glasses, please, he performs the illocutionary act of requesting or ordering Mary to hand the glasses over to him. The functions or actions just mentioned are also referred to as the illocutionary force or illocutionary point of the speech act. The illocutionary force of a speech act is the effect a speech act is intended to have by a speaker. Indeed, the term speech act in its narrow sense is often taken to refer specifically to illocutionary act.(Yan Huang, The Oxford Dictionary of Pragmatics. Oxford University Press, 2012) Illocutionary Force Indicating Devices There are different devices used to indicate how an illocutionary force must be interpreted. For example, Open the door and Could you open the door have the same propositional content (open the door), but they represent different illocutionary acts- an order and a request respectively. These devices that aid the hearer in identifying the illocutionary force of the utterance are referred to as the illocutionary force indicating devices or IFIDs [also called illocutionary force markers]. Performative verbs, mood, word order, intonation, stress are examples of IFIDs.(Elizabeth Flores Salgado,  The Pragmatics of Requests and Apologies. John Benjamins, 2011) I may indicate the kind of illocutionary act I am performing by beginning the sentence with I apologize, I warn, I state, etc. Often, in actual speech situations, the context will make it clear what the illocutionary force of the utterance is, without its being necessary to invoke the appropriate explicit illocutionary force indicator.(John R. Searle,  Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press, 1969) I Was Just Saying That Kenneth Parcell: Im sorry, Mr. Jordan. Im just overworked. With my page duties and being Mr. Donaghys assistant, theres not enough hours in the day.Tracy Jordan: Im sorry about that. But just let me know if theres any way I can help.Kenneth: Actually, there is one thing...Tracy: No! I was just saying that! Why cant you read human facial cues (Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan, Cutbacks. 30 Rock, April 9, 2009) Pragmatic Competence Achieving pragmatic competence involves the ability to understand the illocutionary force of an utterance, that is, what a speaker intends by making it. This is particularly important in cross-cultural encounters since the same form (e.g. When are you leaving?) can vary in its illocutionary force depending on the context in which it is made (e.g. May I have a ride with you? or Dont you think it is time for you to go?).(Sandra Lee McKay, Teaching English as an International Language. Oxford University Press, 2002) What I Really Mean When I say how are you to a co-worker, I really mean hello. Although I know what I mean by how are you, it is possible that the receiver does not know that I mean hello and actually proceeds to give me a fifteen-minute discourse on his various maladies.(George Ritzer, Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science. Allyn Bacon, 1980)