Florida Launches New Initiative on Newborns Exposed to Prescription Drugs

By Join Together Staff | May 10, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Government, Parenting, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

Florida is launching a new initiative to tackle the growing problem of newborns exposed to prescription drugs, the Associated Press reports. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi held a press conference Friday with the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health to announce the new program.

In February a task force of doctors, public health experts and social workers in Florida released a report designed to combat the growing problem of babies born to mothers who are addicted to prescription drugs. The report found more than 1,560 babies born in Florida in 2011 were diagnosed with symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). These babies often spend three weeks in neonatal intensive care, with a cost as high as $53,400 per baby. In contrast, the typical hospital cost for a healthy newborn is $9,500.

NAS babies suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, abdominal pain, incessant crying, rapid breathing, and sometimes seizures, the report notes.

The task force made recommendations in the areas of prevention, intervention and best practices, and treatment. It recommended that hospitals be required to report babies born with symptoms of NAS, as they do with babies born with infectious diseases such as measles and tuberculosis. The group wants to help treatment facilities reach more women, and recommended considering new laws to offer pregnant women immunity for seeking substance abuse treatment.

In April, state officials launched a new website, BornDrugFreeFL.com and a 1-877-233-5656 helpline, to raise awareness about babies being born exposed to prescription drugs. The campaign is designed to educate expectant mothers about the importance of discussing prescription drug use with their doctors, and to offer the women assistance. The campaign is being advertised through billboards across the state.

A MUST ATTEND EVENT! EVERYONE WELCOME!

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May 11

Psalm 59:9
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

The young man sat quietly in the courtroom. He trembled as he waited for the hearing to begin. He had never been to court before. His parents had rarely even taken him into town. The Amish kept pretty much to themselves. He was being asked to fight in an army that he did not believe in, and that was something he could not do. They would ask him all kinds of hard questions, but all he knew was that war and killing were wrong, and he would have no part of it, even if it meant sitting in a jail for the rest of his life. They would want excuses, but all he could say was no. God was his only defense. Nothing more was needed.

 

Prayer: People do not always understand why I feel the way I do or believe the things I do. Help me to accept that, Father. Help me to be secure in my faith. Let me be an example of faith in a world full of doubt. Amen.

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Pregnant Teens in Substance Abuse Treatment Face Many Challenges

By Join Together Staff | May 10, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Drugs, Parenting & Youth

Pregnant teens, who are more likely than pregnant adults to face medical issues, face a host of additional challenges if they are also being treated for substance abuse, a new government report finds.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found pregnant teens being treated for substance abuse were three times more likely than other female teens in treatment to receive public assistance as their main source of income—15 percent versus 5.3 percent). The report also found 74 percent of non-pregnant female teens in treatment who were not working were students, compared with just 44.2 percent of pregnant teens treated for substance abuse.

Half of pregnant teens in treatment used drugs or alcohol in the month before they started treatment, HealthDay reports. Almost one-fifth used drugs or alcohol daily during that month. The report notes that when mothers use drugs during pregnancy, their babies can show signs of addiction at birth. Long-term effects of a mother’s prenatal drug use have been observed in children at 6 years of age.

Marijuana was the most commonly used substance among female teens in treatment programs. The report found 73 percent of pregnant teens and 70 percent of non-pregnant teens used the drug. Pregnant teens were twice as likely to use methamphetamines and amphetamines, compared with other female teens—17 percent versus 8 percent.

Overall, pregnant teens make up about 4 percent of the 57,000 females ages 12 to 19 admitted to substance abuse treatment programs annually, according to SAMHSA.

“Pregnant teens entering treatment face difficult challenges, but the good news is that treatment is a very positive step in helping them regain their lives and generate new hope for themselves and their children,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in a news release.