![]() ![]() These micro-scale studies have spawned numerous media reports, from CNN to Fox to CBS, proclaiming that doctors are “ sounding the alarm ” about “ horrifying ” withdrawal symptoms. In all of the cases, the babies were stabilized using morphine or another opioid, and kratom did not seem to cause any long-lasting, damaging effects, although it’s hard to be sure without long-term follow-up. Notably absent from these government agency positions and media narratives-and from most of the case studies-are the voices of pregnant people themselves.īecause two chemicals in kratom, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, are “ atypical ” opioids and have potential for problematic use, the drug was implicated as the cause of these side effects. For example, in one of the earliest reports, “The baby had breathing difficulties, irritability, jitteriness, muscle hypertonicity, and a high-pitched, inconsolable cry.” Another report claimed it is “vital” that healthcare workers be aware of kratom’s potential impact on maternal and infant outcomes. The newborns in these reports exhibited symptoms consistent with opioid withdrawals. In the last two years, however, at least six case studies of pregnant kratom use, totaling seven infants in North America, have been published. The child improved with “supportive treatment,” although it’s not clear what that means. Before 2017, one of the few mentions of kratom use during pregnancy was a single paragraph buried in a retrospective report from a poison center in Thailand, describing a two-day old infant experiencing withdrawal symptoms. The effects of kratom on pregnant people and their babies are largely unknown. A Schedule I ban seems imminent, which would likely devastate the estimated 5 million kratom users in America and deepen the US overdose crisis. The organic chemicals contained can give stimulating or opioid-like effects, which advocates call life-saving and the federal government labels addictive and dangerous. Kratom’s leaves are usually brewed as a tea. This has raised concerns from healthcare workers -but evidence suggests that these concerns are being distorted and overblown by media and government. Kratom, a species of tree from Southeast Asia, is possibly also being used more frequently during pregnancy. Opioids and stimulants are increasingly popular, as well as marijuana. Like people in general, pregnant people use non-prescribed drugs for many reasons.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |