P babies — born to an uncertain future
At least 50 a year seen by hospital ‘ tip of iceberg’ says paediatrician
At least 50 babies exposed to P in the womb are born at Auckland City Hospital every year — a figure which could be the “tip of the iceberg” of a nationwide problem.
The long- term effects of methamphetamine are largely unknown and the one New Zealand- based longitudinal study designed to find out what these may be faces an uncertain future without further funding.
Babies “born under the influence” were frequently described as difficult to look after, irritable, poor feeders and tending to lag behind their peers.
Auckland newborn services consultant paediatrician Dr Simon Rowley said the drug was a known factor and at the worst came with the risk of babies being miscarried, stillborn, or born with physical defects.
“If there are no obvious things, which is the usual case, you will see babies who are basically all over the place — and that must be a very frightening experience for them.”
Rowley said often the mother could also have been using other drugs at the same time, which could lead to “withdrawal” symptoms in the baby that needed monitoring and, in the worst cases, medical treatment.
Symptoms included a high- pitched cry, difficulties being consoled, sneezing, tremors, hyperactive reflexes, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and unstable temperatures.
“Babies worst affected by P to the point of needing treatment would be given morphine on the assumption that other drugs are exacerbating the signs of withdrawal.”
Morphine would be given in regular doses that are slowly reduced until the symptoms subsided. He said with appropriate support the mothers and babies could be helped through the withdrawal period. “These symptoms can usually be managed with good midwifery . . . support in the first few weeks. Of more concern is what happens [ in the months and years] after that.” Currently he said there was little good research around the short- and long- term outcomes for these babies. Rowley estimated the hospital was alerted to 25 to 50 babies annually — “one every couple of weeks” — who had been exposed to P in pregnancy.
However, he said this was likely the “tip of the iceberg” as many mothers failed to disclose their drug use.
Researcher Liz Gordon, who published some of her latest findings in a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren report released this week, described P as a “terrible scourge” on society.
She said the number one reason grandparents took over care of their grandchildren was because of a drug addiction. “For most of those . . . if not virtually all [ it was P],” she said. “It’s so addictive. It’s a poison.”
Rowley said inherently these mothers wanted to do good for their children — but were in many ways victims of their social circumstance.
“I once asked somebody who had given it up, how she achieved it. She said: ‘ I just stopped seeing all my friends and acquaintances’.”
Director of the New Zealand arm of a longitudinal study into the outcome of these “P babies”, Trecia Wouldes, said methamphetamine was one of the more problematic drugs in society. she was applying for grants in the hope that someone would underwrite the project and ensure its future.
So far the study had established these children did lag behind their peers in the first few years of life.
“Boys, particularly Maori boys, who were exposed to P were lagging in motor skills and cognitive development.”
However, she said there was also evidence to indicate the environment also played a significant role in how these children fared in later years.
“If [ a child] goes into a nurturing environment it’s going to have a better outcome than a baby that goes into a less optimal environment.”
Wouldes was keen to see the study go further to see how the children fared as they entered adolescence.
“Our kids are starting to turn 11. It’s important to be able to determine if they got a poor outcome because they are exposed prenatally to drugs, or if there’s a combination of the drug and environment.”