An investigation by Reuters has uncovered the disturbing truth behind babies born to mothers with drug addictions. Their report found that, on average, a baby was born with an opiate addiction every 19 minutes in the US.
In a shocking video, taken at the Cabell Huntington Hospital in the US, a newborn baby can be seen suffering a fit that causes its legs to shake uncontrollably – a common symptom of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Other signs of dependency include muscle clenching and gasping for air.
The children are born with a dependency to opiates because their mothers were either still using drugs throughout their pregnancy or were using methadone, an opiate substitute, to help them try and overcome their addiction.
Reuters looked at over 27,000 cases of drug dependent babies in 2013 for their research and the findings are extremely upsetting. It’s thought more than 130,000 children were born addicted to drugs in America over the last ten years.
Chillingly, their report also revealed how that since 2010, 110 children died after being sent home from hospital. Once well enough, the newborns were sent home to live with their parents but it seems that lack of education and support meant they were killed accidentally. The report claims over 40 died of suffocation, while 13 died after swallow large doses of heroin, methadone or various other opoids.
Dedicated charities in the country are helping mothers and their newborn babies through these difficult times, but it’s clear to see that there is still a way to go in educating and helping women who have drug problems.