A Maine woman is facing drug and child endangerment charges after police say her 7-month-old baby was found with methamphetamine in its system.
Bangor Police Sgt. Wade Betters told Associated Press reporters that officers were called to a hospital on Dec. 16, 2018, in response to a report that Murch’s 7-month-old child was unconscious and had ingested meth.
The child had reportedly regained consciousness by the time officers arrived on the scene and was being treated. The 7-month-old’s current condition has not been made public.
Police said the methamphetamine entered the child’s system through the mother’s breast milk.
Murch is set to appear in court in February.
Deadly Consequences
A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, warns nursing mothers to stay away from meth.“Methamphetamine and its metabolite, amphetamine, are detectable in breastmilk and infant’s serum after abuse of methamphetamine by nursing mothers,” the study’s authors wrote, adding that “methamphetamine should not be used as a recreational drug by nursing mothers because it may impair their judgment and child care abilities.”
The study also states that in some cases, meth use by nursing mothers has led to infant death.
“A 2-month-old infant whose mother used illicit street methamphetamine recreationally by nasal inhalation was found dead 8 hours after a small amount of breastfeeding and ingestion of 120 to 180 mL of formula,” the authors wrote. “The infant’s serum methamphetamine concentration on autopsy was 39 mcg/L.”
Meth Use Widespread
Methamphetamine abuse has continued to increase in the United States since the late 1980s.Another factor that contributes to the pervasiveness of methamphetamine as a drug of abuse is its low cost compared to other illicit drugs. The widespread availability of meth is also linked to its large-scale production in secret labs in the United States, compounded by its import from Mexico.
President Donald Trump has on numerous occasions addressed America’s drug crisis.
Trump said the United States is taking aggressive action to address the drug crisis, and that the goals for global action are to reduce drug demand, increase treatment, and stop trafficking.
“If we take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in every corner of the world. And when I say countless, I mean millions and millions of people,” he said.
Treatment
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urges pregnant women using methamphetamine to seek comprehensive prenatal care and accept help to stop the dangerous habit.“All women reporting methamphetamine use should be counseled and offered help to discontinue use,” the College writes, adding also that “they should be tested for sexually transmitted infections and HIV.”
The College recommends also that “given the increased rate of fetal growth restriction with methamphetamine use, baseline ultrasonography for clinical dating should be obtained early in pregnancy.”