Barbiturates are sedative-hypnotics. They are manufactured from a synthetic form of barbituric acid and are commonly known as sleeping pills or downers.
Barbituric acid was created by an assistant at the University of Ghent, in Belgium, called von Bayer in 1864. In 1882, two German chemists, von Mering and Fischer, synthesized a derivative called diethylbarbiturate. It was marketed as Veronal; the two scientists naming the drug while on a train to Verona.
The drug phenobarbital was synthesized in 1912 and was used by Hauptman as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy. It soon became easy to manufacture barbiturate derivatives cheaply leading to the proliferation of such drugs as amobarbital and secobarbital.
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Depending on the derivative, these drugs will put you into a deep or light sleep, which can also be controlled for length of time. Abusers frequently take them in combination with other drugs.
There is no conclusive evidence of barbiturates affecting the baby during pregnancy.
There is still discussion whether barbiturates can cause congenital malformationsAny abnormality which is present at birth. Also called birth defects, they can arise from genetic inheritance or acquired during gestation through disease or drugs.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., or birth defects. There are signs that a baby born to a mother who abuses barbiturates can suffer from withdrawal symptoms after birth. Babies may also suffer from seizures, hyperactivitySometimes called attention deficit disorder or minimum brain dysfunction, it is a syndrome that affects primarily children and adolescents and is characterized by learning disabilities. The symptoms are associated with functional deviations of the central nervous system, while lacking signs of major neurologic or psychiatric disturbance.
Symptoms include inpaired perception, conceptual, language, memory and motor skills. Hyperactivity and decreased attention span are common.
The condition is ten times more common in boys and result from genetic factors, biochemical imbalances or perinatal injury or disease. While there is no cure, syptoms eventually subside and treatment includes medication and a modified diet.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. and hypertonicity as well as poor feeding characteristics.
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