Helping Addicted Pregnant Mothers and their Addicted Babies
According to reports from Ohio.com citing The Akron Beacon Journal, four programs in the state of Ohio will give grant money that will help pregnant mothers addicted to heroin or other opioid drugs to receive treatment. The three-year, $4.2 million program will benefit some 300 women in Cuyahoga, Athens, Franklin, and Hamilton counties, who will go through drug treatment and counseling in order to protect their unborn children.
Brad DeCamp, program chief for the state’s opioid treatment policy is quoted saying, “If we can intervene early and make an impact, then the more likely we are to create a situation where the mom is not as reliant on crisis services and emergency services, and the same for the young child.”
Like many other states in the US, Ohio has seen a sharp increase in heroin addiction and overdoses, especially among pregnant mothers. In 2007 alone, fatal drug overdoses surpassed fatal car crashes as the state’s top cause of accidental death. Further, Ohio has seen a drastic rise in the number of drug addicted babies, rising from 14 per 10,000 live births in 2004 to 88 per 10,000 live births in 2011 (Ohio state data).
Babies who are born to mothers addicted to painkillers or other opiates can experience neonatal abstinence syndrome. Symptoms of neonatal abstinence include drug withdrawal, respiratory complications, feeding difficulties and sometimes even seizures.
Also, health-care expenses associated with treating babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome topped $70 million in 2011, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. The program will also continue drug treatment for addicted mothers after birth with the hope of preventing relapse.
“Women in the project will undergo a combination of counseling and medication-assisted treatment for their addiction; along with help to prevent relapses after their babies are born. They could get vouchers for transitional housing as well as transportation or brief baby-sitting for medical and treatment appointments.” (Ohio.com)
Caring for addicted babies can be costly as well as heartbreaking. DeCamp hoes this new program in Ohio will help get addicted mothers off drugs before their babies are born. If this happens, their stay in the intensive care unit after birth could be shortened. Also, for addicted pregnant mothers and their babies, the program will also continue drug treatment for the addicted mothers after the birth of their babies with the hope of preventing relapse.