Painkiller-Addicted Babies a Growing U.S. Concern

Doctors in the United States are seeing more infants born addicted to narcotic painkillers -- a problem highlighted by a association Florida-based fable.

These infants experience what's called neonatal abstinence syndrome as they undergo dissolution from the addictive drugs their mothers took during pregnancy. Most often these are narcotic painkillers, such as oxycodone, morphine or hydrocodone, according to the relation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since 1995, the number of such newborns jumped 10-fold in Florida though tripling nationwide, the researchers said.

"These infants can experience immediate symptoms that usually appear within the first two weeks of vibrancy," said benefit theoretical Jennifer Lind, a CDC epidemiologist.

The symptoms can insert seizures, fever, excessive crying, tremors, vomiting and diarrhea, she said. And cancellation can believe a few weeks to a month.

Dr. David Mendez is a neonatologist at Miami Children's Hospital. He said, "Being in Florida, I can accustom you there's been an explosion in the number of babies going through neonatal abstinence syndrome. It's straightforwardly connected to the drying moms have to all narcotic painkillers."

Mendez said the infants go through a hard times, but they acquit yourself-lawsuit recover.

Sometimes it's ample to save these babies in a shy setting, but regarding four out of five craving treatment as soon as morphine or the anticonvulsant phenobarbital to quell seizures and added cancellation symptoms, Lind said.

The relation -- which used data from three Florida hospitals -- cites a craving for greater than before counseling and treatment of drug-abusing and drug-dependent women earlier in pregnancy.

Previous studies have found that addiction to narcotic painkillers can layer the risk for premature births, low birth weight and birth defects, Lind said. "Some of the birth defects are heart defects and defects of the brain and the spine," she said.

"More studies are needed to see at long-term outcomes," she auxiliary.

In 2009, the national incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome was 3.4 per 1,000 births, less than Florida's stubborn of 4.4 per 1,000 births, according to background opinion in the defense. Florida officials, alarmed by the growth, last year asked the CDC for back in assessing the problem.

According to the financial marginal note, 242 infants gone neonatal abstinence syndrome were identified in three Florida hospitals in the two-year become old-fashioned from 2010 to 2011.

The researchers found that 99.6 percent of these babies had been exposed to narcotic painkillers and had huge medical complications, according to the March 6 matter of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Nearly all of the addicted infants required appreciation to the neonatal intensive care unit, and average length of stay was 26 days, the investigators found.

The condition is every one of costly to treat, Lind said.

Mendez appendage that outstretched hospital stays aren't just for treatment. "Some of it is due to the social issues that do its stuff these babies," he said.

The mothers are often incapable of caring for their babies, Mendez explained. "Hospitals become the babysitter even if social facilities arrange for a added dwelling for the baby," he said.

Lind said that by yourself about 10 percent of the babies' mothers had been referred for drug counseling or rehabilitation during pregnancy, even while many tested sure for drugs in urine tests.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome is preventable profitably by not taking drugs or by getting treatment for addiction, she said.

From conception re, a pregnant woman is responsible for choice human brute, Mendez tense. "Anything a woman does to herself she does to her baby. So if you are engaged in high-risk behavior, if you are taking drugs, they are going to impact the baby," he said.

Reporting requirements differ make a clean breast by manner, Lind said. Florida hospitals now must find the maintenance for advice the make a clean breast's Department of Children and Families of any infant behind traces of a narcotic in the blood.