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The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence sponsors National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week each May. While this annual health observance’s name is a mouthful, it serves a very real purpose. The goal is in reducing the number of babies born with health defects related to maternal alcohol and drug abuse.
One of the biggest problems for women seeking help for addiction is that of paying for rehab. But if you carry a health insurance policy, paying for treatment is not as hard as you think. Regardless of whether you have insurance or not, talk to a quality rehab center about getting the drug or alcohol addiction Mahanoy City PA treatment you need, especially if pregnant or planning to start a family.
About Alcohol and Drug-Related Birth Defects
Sadly, babies come into this world each day with serious birth defects. Thousands of them suffer these life problems because their mothers consumed alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. Not only do these babies suffer these defects, but many either go home to families with a history of substance abuse or they suffer abandonment after birth. No baby should inherit so many major hurdles.
In America, about one million pregnant women smoke during pregnancy today. That is shocking, after all we know about the combination of cigarettes and infant defects and morbidity. This is why National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week is so important.
Even worse, 750,000 women consume alcohol during their baby’s gestation and another 225,000 use illicit drugs during pregnancy. This means one in 100 babies come into this world with health setbacks due to drugs or alcohol. Many arrive with full-fledged addictions to the substances their mothers abused. The best way to fight these problems is through public information.
No one can deny that smoking, using alcohol, or taking drugs during pregnancy causes life-changing problems for babies. Mothers suffer health consequences when mixing pregnancy with substance abuse, too. Many conditions develop from these negative behaviors, such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), facial deformities, slowed growth, and brain injury.
What is National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week?
National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week takes place every May. In 2019, it occurs from Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18. During this week, many public service announcements hit TV, Internet and radio airwaves, to help people learn about birth defects caused by substance abuse. Individual communities also hold special events to bring attention to these important issues.
Even bigger than bringing attention to what can happen to babies born to mothers using alcohol or drugs is the desire to help women get the treatment they need. By treating women before pregnancy and even during their baby’s gestation, fewer babies risk birth with these terrible defects.
Women abusing alcohol or drugs need the same help as men with these problems. But they also need to learn more about addiction and pregnancy during National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week. Treatment methods, programs, and therapies women need include:
- Residential rehab
- Yoga, nutrition, fitness, and outdoor activities
- Work therapy, individual counseling, and group therapy
- Family program
Do you Need Help for Addiction?
If you or someone you love suffers addiction – whether as a male, female, or pregnant mother-to-be – you need help from a quality rehab treatment center. Near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, this treatment takes place at Silver Pines Treatment Center. But you should not wait until National Alcohol and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week to get this important help. Instead, you should call Silver Pines Treatment Center now at 267.719.8689.
