Attached a link to an an article published in the 05/13/2011 edition of the Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/13/2216300/state-seeks-end-to-crisis-of-babies.html reporting that at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa 15 to 20 percent of the babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit are treated for withdrawal from prescription drugs like oxycodone. Statewide, an estimated 1,300 babies were treated for withdrawal in 2010, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. These troubling data were presented at a roundtable discussion with top officials from BayCare Health System, AG Pam Bondi and Senate President Mike Haridopolos to discuss the enormity of the problem and what can be done to stop it. Babies born with prescription drugs in their systems often spend the first weeks of their lives in hospital NICUs getting weaned off their addiction. Mindy Young, a nurse and manager of St. Joseph’s NICU, said it’s a painful process that can take up to 30 days. We definitely need to do more to identify and treat pregnant opioid-dependent women to stop this epidemic. The article only refers to Methadone as a treatment modality and omits mentioning the use of Buprenorphine (SUBUTEX) as a treatment option.
Yours
Bernd
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