[powerof3]

How often will CPS release a substance exposed newborn to the mother?

My cousin gave birth to her son 5 weeks ago, he was born addicted to methadone and exposed to cocaine. CPS is currently assesing the situation. The baby should be released from the hospital at the end of next week. My DH and I are listed a kinship placement but I am trying to get "odds" on where the baby will go....with mom or to us.

[Linny]

I'm no expert on this and honestly, I think it varies state to state. I think though that usually, the baby is NOT allowed to stay with bmom. I'm also told bmom can often be allowed to make an adoption plan if she's not wanting the baby to go into foster care while she considers putting her life back together-or not.

HTH..

Sincerely,

Linny

[Momoftwoboyz]

Well, since Methadone is a "legal" drug, assuming she had a doctors script and got it through a clinic, I would guess they will have to let her try to parent, with a very close eye on her.? Maybe?
Many doctors around here use Methadone to help get people off the street drugs...they say the side effects to the unborn baby are less serious from Methadone than Cocaine Crystal Meth or herion. There are clinics ALL OVER THE PLACE. If the clinics were used to get people OFF drugs, I would support this idea, but a family member of a friend was on it for 8 years (!), doped as all get out. Sorry... went off topic...
My best guess (Uneducated) is that unless Mom has other issues or CPS has other concerns, I would think they have no grounds for removal at this point. (Thats assuming she was on the Methadone by Doctor permission)
I hope someone is watching her if she does go home with baby. If she was on the Methadone as an alternative (somewhat controlled) high while pregnant, it is very likely she will return to the illegal ones now that she is not pregnant.
Im glad you are there if the baby needs you... just hope CPS is watching the situation

[powerof3]

Originally Posted by Momoftwoboyz

Many doctors around here use Methadone to help get people off the street drugs...they say the side effects to the unborn baby are less serious from Methadone than Cocaine Crystal Meth or herion. There are clinics ALL OVER THE PLACE. If the clinics were used to get people OFF drugs, I would support this idea, but a family member of a friend was on it for 8 years (!), doped as all get out. Sorry... went off topic...

I also do not agree that methadone is a form of treatment or recovery but I do understand the benefits for heroin addicts especially while being pregnant. My cousin's methadone was prescribed by a doctor and she goes to the clinic everyday. I seriously doubt the cocaine she used while pregnant was prescribed.

I just don't understand why a 6 week old baby has to go through withdrawals from methadone and cocaine but his mother can continue to go to the clinic and receive her methadone (or to the corner for the other stuff).

She has an open case with CPS. I am trying to be supportive for her and her son and help when I can but my cousin is a USER of drugs and people. I have to be careful.

I have a thin line to walk between watching out for the safety of the baby and not allowing myself and my family to get caught up in the life of an addict (again).

[powerof3]

Happy Baby is 4 months old now. Over the past week he cannot seem to stay awake more than an hour or so. He is still sleeping through the night and waking to eat but it seems he should be awake and alert longer.

I know cocaine exposure makes newborns sleep more often but he was doing over 2 hours wake last week.

[Ians mom]

My little guy is 5 months old. He was born with cocaine and heroin in his system among other things. He was weaned off methadone and phenobarbitol over the forst 8 weeks of life.

He sleeps through the night and does 2-3 naps a day. Up at 8am down at 11am, up at 12pm down at 2pm, up at 6pm down for the night at 10pm. He does get up to eat around 530am but he goes right back down.

He is very vocal, makes eye contact when he is 'talking' to us. He turns his head when we say his name, reaches for toys and is trying to hold his bottles. He hasnt quite mastered rolling from his back to belly yet but we are working on that now.

Not sure if that helps or not since every baby is different.

[splatfam]

In my area protective services would not let the baby go back with biomom if there were ILLEGAL drugs in her system (excluding marijuana, which they seem to not care about).

In my area, methadone is also sold on the street to give the user a high, though not as good a one, as heroin. It is also used in heroin clinics (must have special license through DEA to prescribe for addictions so must docs cannot prescribe it to help substance addicted patients) and for chronic pain management (which requires a standard DEA license so must docs can use it).

I'm guessing protective services will be looking into it.

Good luck.

[powerof3]

Originally Posted by Ians mom

My little guy is 5 months old. He was born with cocaine and heroin in his system among other things. He was weaned off methadone and phenobarbitol over the forst 8 weeks of life.

He sleeps through the night and does 2-3 naps a day. Up at 8am down at 11am, up at 12pm down at 2pm, up at 6pm down for the night at 10pm. He does get up to eat around 530am but he goes right back down.

He is very vocal, makes eye contact when he is 'talking' to us. He turns his head when we say his name, reaches for toys and is trying to hold his bottles. He hasnt quite mastered rolling from his back to belly yet but we are working on that now.

Not sure if that helps or not since every baby is different.

Happy Baby is also becoming very vocal. He seems to have average development so far. We had a consult with neurosurgery incase he needed an MRI of the brain but she did not see anything that concerned her enough to put HB through that right now. We are going to the eye doctor on Monday.

HB wakes up at 6:30am and takes a bottle, stays awake for about an hour then back to sleep for about another hour. He takes another bottle around 10am and goes back down around 10:30 or 11am until he eats lunch at 12. He has been sleeping longer during his afternoon naps, almost 3 hours today, from 1 to 4. He takes another bottle at 4pm. Dinner at 6pm and a cat nap. When he wakes from the last nap he gets a bath and then has his last bottle at 8pm. He will sleep through the night until 6:30 the next morning.

He gets extremely upset when he is tired.