Research shows that drug-dependent babies more than double the national average in Kentucky. A recent research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics journal says that the U.S. rate of babies born in mothers who are addicted to opioids was 7.3 in 2013, whereas Kentucky's rate was 15.1 per 1,000 live births. The finding also states that both rates were significantly up from the preceding five years, and Kentucky's rate spiked another 40 percent the next year.
One of the authors of the research, Joshua Brown, says that situations where mothers are hooked to using illicit drugs during pregnancy and pass the chemicals down to their babies, have risen significantly in Kentucky, resulting to an alarming rise in the number of drug-dependent babies. According to the WSAZ, in Kentucky, only 30 of the 123 substance abuse treatment centers accept pregnant or postpartum women in their drug rehabilitation programs as cited by the U.S. Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration. Local leaders concerned of child care say that something needs to change with the current heroin and opioid epidemic.
To help ease the situation, facilities for child care give special attention to these affected babies, even recruiting volunteers to provide cuddles to the sick infants. Director Pat Hayes of West End Kid's Academy says that she's grateful the babies are happy and healthy in her care. She says that these babies require extra TLC as they are almost always in pain due to the effects of the drugs in their system, the WPSD Local 6 reports.
"Those children, it's hard for them to thrive and grow and learn the way they should be able to, because they get off to a bad start," Hayes says. In infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, cuddling helps relieve the drug-induced effects in their nervous and digestive systems. Drug-dependent babies usually suffer tremors, muscle spasms, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, poor sleeping, and fever.
