Dr. Lawrence Tucker of Resurgence Behavioral Health Provides Specialized Treatment for Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder

COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pregnant women need specialized care to manage the unique risks they face when recovering from drug addiction. Resurgence Behavioral Health is one of the few treatment centers willing and able to admit them, under the highly respected leadership of its medical director.

"A lot of places, unfortunately, don't want to take women who are pregnant and struggling with substance abuse or detox and needing that level of treatment," said Dr. Lawrence V. Tucker, medical director for the nationwide network of drug and alcohol treatment centers. Resurgence, on the other hand, has several pregnant women undergoing care at any given time.

Tucker has specialized experience working with pregnant women during detox and rehab, bringing much-needed expertise in this challenging area. While drug use during pregnancy is hazardous to the woman and her unborn child, improperly managed detox carries similar risks.

The incidence of substance abuse by pregnant women has increased in recent years. According to research in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, cases more than doubled between 1998 and 2011, with four out of every 1,000 women giving birth while addicted. In addition, among women ages 15-44, non-medical use of oxycodone rose 5.4% between 2013 and 2014.

For a pregnant woman and her unborn child, drug use carries a high risk of multiple negative consequences. These risks include preeclampsia, a potentially deadly rise in the mother's blood pressure. Threats to the fetus include placental abruption, when the placenta separates from the uterine lining; premature rupture of membranes holding the fetus in the womb, commonly known as "the water breaking"; premature birth; low birth weight; physical deformities; and stillbirth. Babies born to addicted mothers also can experience neonatal abstinence syndrome, withdrawal from the drugs they had been ingesting along with their mother during the pregnancy.

Many pregnant women struggling with addiction want to quit using and know they need help but are often afraid that the social welfare system will accuse them of child endangerment and take away their child. In some states, women have even been arrested for using drugs while pregnant.

But as dangerous as drug use is during pregnancy, simply quitting on one's own can also do serious harm. Drug detox can be painful and potentially dangerous for anyone. But for pregnant women, it can lead to miscarriage, premature labor, and fetal distress. In addition, if drug use resumes after birth, the mother is at a high risk of overdosing.

Women in this condition do not have many options, but help is available. Dr. Tucker suggests pregnant women find a medical detox program where they can safely begin recovery.  It's also important to look for an inpatient facility with around-the-clock care by medical staff. After detox, pregnant patients may be referred to an intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization program that treats perinatal substance abuse patients. How long pregnant women stay in an inpatient program depends on several factors, including their physical and mental health, the type of drugs they've been using, and how far along they are in their pregnancy.

Resurgence Behavioral Health offers comprehensive addiction treatment for all those seeking help with drug and alcohol addiction, including pregnant women and other complicated cases. In addition, treatment for mental health disorders is also available.  For more information, call 855-458-0050 anytime 24/7 or visit www.resurgencebehavioralhealth.com.

Media Contact:
Tanisha Porreca
949-899-6003
[email protected]

SOURCE Resurgence Behavioral Health

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