1,000 California babies are born addicted to drugs

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Data from the state's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development has revealed that over 1,000 babies were born with withdrawal symptoms in California, due to mothers taking prescribed painkillers and addictive drugs like opiates or narcotics. The rate of babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) rose by 50 percent compared to ten years ago, according to The Sacramento Bee.

In addition, the report about the rising birth rate of babies born with NAS comes as the number of births in California drops and aligns with the sharp increase of drug-related ER visits and hospitalizations. The data also shows that one in every 400 babies are born with NAS.

Medline Plus defines NAS as "a group of problems that occur in a newborn who was exposed to addictive opiate drugs while in the mother's womb." The baby is exposed to the addictive drugs through the placenta connected to his/her mother and becomes addicted.

After birth, however, the baby can no longer get drug dosages from the mother, since the placenta is severed. As a result, the baby starts to experience withdrawal symptoms, 1-3 days or even a week after birth.

The medical site futher explains that NAS occurs when a pregnant woman takes opiate or narcotic drugs like heroin, codeine, oxycodone (Oxycontin) methadone, or buprenorphine.

The Bee adds that NAS is not always a result of drug addiction - it can also be caused by strong painkillers. In some cases doctors will prescribe strong painkillers to pregnant women, who are severely injured or are experiencing major pain.

Babies born with NAS may experience differing symptoms that depend on certain factors including: what type of drug the mother consumed, how long the mother used the drugs, and if the baby was premature or full-term.

Common symptoms of NAS are as follows: sweating, fever, restlessness, poor appetite, vomiting and tremors, notes Inland News Today.

In some cases, the babies have to be weaned off the drug before going home, which can take a lot of time and patience, as seen in the video below.

If the mother of a child born with NAS is identified as an illicit drug user, doctors are required by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2003 to report the case to child welfare.