RICHMOND — Between hundreds of adult overdoses, deaths and arrests, the prevalence of drugs and drug addiction throughout the area cannot be denied.
That problem, however, is also finding its way into a population which isn't even aware of what drugs are — newborn babies.
A release this week from Reid Health in Richmond illustrates that frightening trend, as the health system saw almost double the number of newborn babies born in 2015 addicted to a drug compared to 2014.
The health system, as of December 2015, had 54 newborn babies born with a drug addiction to some type of opoid, compared to 31 total for 2014.
"Sadly, this increase in the number of affected babies is related to an increase in heroin activity in Richmond, Wayne County and the surrounding areas," a press release from Reid Health stated.
How the addiction occurs for the newborn, according to Reid Health, is when an expecting mother uses drugs, those drugs in turn pass through the placenta and enter the unborn baby's system. The unborn baby becomes addicted to the drug and, upon birth, often experiences debilitating health effects ranging from seizures, fever, rapid breathing, vomiting, a lack of appetite and excessive crying due to withdrawal symptoms — much as an adult going through drug withdrawal would.
Such a situation is known as "Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome," or NAS.
“Infants with NAS experience pain,” said Dr. Loretta Ryan, a pediatrician with Reid Health, in a statement, "evidenced by excessive crying and difficulty in being soothed.”
A newborn born addicted to drugs also sees a prolonged hospital stay. Instead of the typical three days spent in the hospital before being discharged, a baby experiencing NAS can see a stay ranging from 16 to 20 days in order to receive treatment.
If not treated, NAS could become very dangerous for a newborn baby. Drug withdrawals for a newborn, even with proper treatment, can take up to six months.
“Short term prognosis is generally good if NAS is recognized and appropriate treatment is provided," Dr. Ryan stated. "Untreated NAS can lead to death from repeated seizures or dehydration from poor feeding. I know of one baby several years ago that presented to the ER with seizures.”
Future issues that also can be connected to NAS include learning disorders and behavioral issues, Dr. Ryan continued.
“Very few women who use drugs intend to get pregnant. I wish that any woman of child-bearing age who is using heroin or other street drugs had the opportunity to be on long-term birth control to prevent pregnancy," she stated. "No mother wants her newborn to suffer withdrawal or to have long-term problems from the devastating effect of drugs on the developing brain.”
In response to the uptick in newborn babies entering the world addicted, Reid Health is attempting to combat with the formation of a committee focusing on NAS and heroin — the predominant drug related to these occurrences.
“The reality is we’re seeing this all over the country,” said Craig Kinyon, chief executive officer of Reid Health, in a statement. “It’s a long, drawn-out issue, requiring a long-term commitment.”
That committee will work to identify initiatives that could change the situation through areas such as treatment, education and prevention, along with establishing collaborations with other community agencies to help address the situation.