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Drug addiction in infants From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The term drug addiction cannot be properly applied in infants, who have been prenatally exposed either to legal or illegal substances.[1] Addiction is a technical term that refers to compulsive behavior that continues in spite of adverse consequences.[2][3] Physiologically, addiction has its roots in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system of the brain. Once an addictive drug is administered, a sequence of changes takes place. The ventral tegmental area (located in the ventral midbrain) is the first area that is affected by the addictive drug. The excitatory synapses of the dopamine neurons are strengthened, leading to further activation in other areas of the brain. The ventral tegmental area passes dopamine to both the ventral and dorsal striatum. The ventral striatum includes the nucleus accumbens, and is responsible for forming drug addicitons. The dorsal striatum is responsible for making one's act of taking drugs into a habit. The nucleus accumbens is an important component of addiction, as it is involved in reinforcement and learning in the brain and is where one develops their addiction. Alexm001 (talk) 00:14, 3 April 2015 (UTC) Thus, by definition, infants cannot be "addicted" to drugs.

Addiction is different from in utero physiologic dependence on opiates, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, which is readily diagnosed. No such symptoms of dependence have been found to occur following prenatal cocaine or methamphetamine exposure.[4][5] Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is common in infants whose mothers were addicted to opiate or narcotic drugs during pregnancy. The placenta provides the means of passing the drug addiction from mother to child. So in essence, a child is addicted by association, not through any action of their own. When these addicted infants are born, they often face withdrawal symptoms as they are no longer receiving constant input of a certain drug. Symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome include blotchy skin, diarrhea, excessive crying, hyperactive reflexes, increased muscle stiffness, rapid breathing, trembling, vomiting, and many more. These symptoms usually occur during the first week after birth and can last for up to six months. Treatment will depend upon the infant and the extent of their Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Doctors often try to reduce addiction in infants by administering doses of a drug similar to the one fueling their addiction. Over time and with reduced amounts of the drug, the infant will return to their non-addicted state and will avoid harsh withdrawal symptoms in the process. Alexm001 (talk) 00:57, 3 April 2015 (UTC)

Babies born today that are addicted to prescription painkillers has tripled in the last decade.[6] Additionally, five times as many mothers in 2009 were using opiate drugs than were mothers in 2000. Besides Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, infants can face other side effects from prenatal, maternal drug use. Some infants may be born prematurely, have a low birth weight, or face developmental delays as they age. Other symptoms include stiffness in the joints, tremors, heart issues, learning disabilities as they age, and other medical, emotional, or behavioral issues. Symptoms do differ depending on the type drug and severity of addiction in the mother. Alexm001 (talk) 01:32, 3 April 2015 (UTC) Alexm001 (talk) 01:32, 3 April 2015 (UTC)

References[edit] Jump up ^ "Join Together". Jointogether.org. Retrieved 2013-08-18. Jump up ^ [1][dead link] Jump up ^ "Handbook of Addictive Disorders: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-08-18. Jump up ^ "Join Together". Jointogether.org. Retrieved 2013-08-18. Jump up ^ "The Epidemic That Wasn’t". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 February 2015. Jump up ^ [2][dead link]