Introduction: The drug abuse during pregnancy is equally harmful to a woman as it is to a fetus. The consequences however depend on the type, quantity and combination of drugs the pregnant woman is taking. Nevertheless, the effect of drugs is always negative. The newborns are often born prematurely, underweight, with numerous health problems. Furthermore, the drug abuse also increases the chances of stillbirth. Even later on in life, the children have many problems in physical and cognitive developement that are emphasized also because of the environment they live in where they are exposed to many factors that have a negative impact on the individual's development. Purpose: The purpose of the following diploma work is to present short-term and long-term consequences the drug abuse during pregnancy has on the fetus, newborn/child and to describe the relationship between the drug addicted puerpera and her newborn. Methods: In the following diploma, the descriptive method of work is used. A systematic overview of scientific and technical literature, written in Slovene and English, was performed. The literature search took place from April 2018 to May 2018. We searched through CINAHL, PUBMED and MEDLINE databases, and through the COBISS + system. Results: The short-term effects of taking opioids in pregnancy are the reason behind neonatal abstinence syndrome, which includes a wide range of symptoms and begins to show within 72 hours after birth and can last up to 6 months after delivery. Neonatal abstinence syndrome also occurs when the pregnant woman is treated with methadone replacement therapy. The treatement is neccesary as its main goal is to calm the newborn down with minimal sedation. The newborn has difficulties with regulating his inner environment with the outside while experiencing a severe stress. Long-term consequences are often seen as reduced cognitive abilities, problems with self-control and behavioral problems, memory problems, motor problems, increased propensity for violence, difficulties in making contact, children are also more likely to use drugs themselves. Drug abuse also affects the relationship between the mother and the child, the addicted mothers are oftentimes disinterested in taking care of their child, they display less empathy, and maternity is perceived as a very demanding task. Children are often raised in a sub-optimal environment. Discussion and conclusion: Researching on the subject area is difficult, therefor the results of researches often differ from one another. It is difficult to precisely determine which of many factors has affected the individual. Healthcare workers are often influenced by their own prejudices and condemnation that combined with the lack of knowledge can result in the subpar treatment of the patient. All those who work with pregnant women and puerperae who are dependent on drugs would need/should undergo additional training in order to understand these women better and to help them accordingly when needed.
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