DOH: Rate Of Volusia Babies Born Addicted To Opioids Is Up 1,900% Since 2006

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Volusia County, FL - A study by the Volusia County Department of Health (DOH) finds that since 2006, the rate of babies in Volusia County born with an addiction to opioids has increased by 1,900%. The DOH says that newborn babies whose mothers are addicted to opioids suffer a complex series of withdrawal symptoms called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). The 2016 rate of newborns with NAS in Volusia County (31.8 per 1,000 live births) nearly doubles Florida's 2016 rate of newborns with NAS (18.73 per 1,000 live births).

(chart courtesy Volusia DOH)

The DOH report looked at a variety of factors affecting babies from fetal growth until their first birthday. Those factors include the following:
  • Birth weight
  • Breastfeeding
  • Vaccinations
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • Safe sleep environments
  • NAS and the complexity of substance abuse disorders
  • Smoking during pregnancy
  • Infant mortality and hospitalizations
The report from the DOH gives age-adjusted rates of opioid addiction in infants to compare populations regardless of their age structure, but cause-and-effect relationships are not analyzed. You can find a link to the report here. Healthy People 2020, an initiative of the of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, says that the well-being of women, newborns, infants, and children determines the health of the next generation and can help to predict future public health challenges for families, communities and healthcare systems. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.