A new government report finds a dramatic increase in the proportion of babies born dependent on opioid drugs, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers. Between 2000 and 2009 the number of infants born to women who had used opioids increased nearly fivefold annually--from 1.19 to 5.63 per 1,000 hospital births.
The incidence of babies born in the United States with neonatal abstinence syndrome quadrupled from 1999 to 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A measure aimed at protecting babies born to mothers who used heroin or other opioids during pregnancy was approved by a U.S. Senate committee this week.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, March 4- Thursday, March 10, 2016.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its recommendation that sexually active women should not drink alcohol if they are not using birth control is valid, despite criticism from many women. The New York Times reports the advice was viewed by some women as insulting and impractical.
All adults should be screened for depression, according to a panel appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services. If initial screening tests indicate an increased risk of depression, health care providers are advised to conduct assessments to look for substance abuse or other medical conditions.
Increasing cigarette taxes may contribute to a drop in the infant death rate, a new study suggests. The higher price of cigarettes may discourage more women from smoking during and after pregnancy, the researchers report in Pediatrics.
The American Medical Association said Monday it is advocating for medical and recreational marijuana products to have warnings against use during pregnancy, the Associated Press reports. The group said its decision is based on research that suggests marijuana use may be linked with premature birth, low birth weight and behavior problems in young children.
Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 9- Thursday, October 14, 2015.
Babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome are more than twice as likely to be readmitted to the hospital within a month after birth, compared with full-term infants born with no complications, a new study concludes.
As more babies are born to mothers who are addicted to prescription painkillers, the costs related to diagnosis and treatment of these infants are rising, according to a new report.
The number of babies treated for the drug-withdrawal syndrome known as neonatal abstinence syndrome has almost quadrupled in the last decade, according to a new study.
A new study finds a woman’s use of prescription opioids during pregnancy increases the risk her baby will be born small or early. Such use also raises the chance the baby will go through painful drug withdrawal, HealthDay reports.
Almost one-third of women of childbearing age had an opioid painkiller prescription filled each year from 2008 to 2012, according to a new government study. These drugs can increase the risk for birth defects, The New York Times reports.
The percentage of women dependent on opioids during pregnancy more than doubled from 1998 to 2011, a new study finds. The overall rate of opioid dependency in pregnant women remains low, at 0.39 percent.
Several medical groups are calling for verbal drug screening for pregnant women, followed by a urine test if necessary, USA Today reports. The recommendation is meant to reduce the growing number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Get Support
