Wisconsin experienced a rise in the number of babies born dependent on opioids or other addictive drugs from 2006 to 2015.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome is a set of complications that occur in newborns exposed to addictive opioids, such as heroin or oxycodone, while in the mother’s womb. Infants with NAS endure drug withdrawals that often include seizures, trembling and high-pitched crying.
“These are babies who can’t settle enough to sleep,” Dr. Elizabeth Goetz, medical director of the newborn nursery at UnityPoint Health – Meriter in Madison, Wisconsin, told Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.
In Wisconsin, the number of live births involving NAS rose from 142 in 2006 to 598 in 2015, according to the state’s Department of Health Services. During that time, the rate of Wisconsin babies born with the disorder rose from 2.0 cases per 1,000 births to 8.9 cases per 1,000 births.
A 2016 study published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal found that Wisconsin babies diagnosed with NAS between 2009 and 2014 spent an average of more than 16 days in the hospital.
The report also showed disproportionate rates of NAS and maternal opioid use among American Indian/Alaska Natives and Medicaid-insured groups compared to white and privately insured populations.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Tennessee and Missouri
The number of babies born with NAS has increased in many rural regions across the United States in recent years.
In 2014, Tennessee experienced more than 1,000 live births involving NAS, according to a report by The Tennessean. Residents of Tennessee are two times more likely than the average American to know an infant born into drug withdrawal.
Some areas in Tennessee have higher rates of NAS than others.
“[The middle Tennessee area] has a rate of NAS that’s about three times the national average,” Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told WKRN in Nashville, Tennessee.
In Missouri, the rate of infants born with NAS increased by 538 percent from 2006 to 2016, according to a report released by the Missouri Hospital Association. At least eight in every 1,000 babies born in the state are addicted to opioids.
From 2000 to 2012, the incidence of NAS in the United States increased by 383 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospitals Hire Cuddling Volunteers
Many hospitals in the United States have enlisted volunteers to physically embrace drug-addicted babies going through withdrawals. This soothing technique may include cradling, rocking, singing and whispering to these infants.
Snuggling helps relieve nervous and digestive system problems in babies with NAS. Through cuddling, many of these infants have shown improvements, such as faster weight gain and shorter hospital stays.
“These babies need to feel love, human touch and a soft voice to comfort them when they’re in pain,” Maryann Malloy, a nurse manager for the neonatal intensive care unit at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, told BBC News.
Mothers in recovery from drug addiction not be able to visit their infants every day. Malloy said parents of babies with NAS feel better knowing that someone is comforting their child.
Recruiting volunteers to cuddle vulnerable babies has become more common in the United States.
Boston Medical Center has implemented a program called Cuddling Assists in Lowering Maternal and Infant Stress, which focuses on nonpharmacological care for babies with NAS.
The cuddling program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia provides a four-hour training course to its volunteers. So far, the hospital has 25 trained volunteers in its snuggling program.
The state screens prospective cuddling volunteers for past abuse before they can participate in the program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Once approved, these individuals work three-hour shifts under the supervision of nurses.
“These babies going through withdrawal need to be held for extended periods,” nurse Jane Cavanaugh, creator of the cuddler program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, told the Philadelphia Daily News. “They need human touch. They need soothing. They need talking.”
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