Video links from “The Doctors” re: Newborns Exposed to Drugs And Alcohol in The Womb.

Methamphetamine Babies
Registered nurse Linda West and fellow Angels in Waiting nurses join The Doctorsto share their experiences fostering abandoned methamphetamine babies. OB/GYN Dr. Lisa Masterson explains how using methamphetamine while pregnant affects a growing fetus.

Angels In Waiting
More than 550,000 babies are born every year after exposure to drugs and alcohol in the womb. These babies are often born premature and with serious health issues, which make them “unpopular” for adoption. Registered nurse Linda West took matters into her own hands and founded the organization Angels in Waiting, a network of neonatal intensive care unit nurses who become foster parents for abandoned babies

Where are the babies now?

How We Can Help

USDTL CordStat® definitively confirms opioid exposure. Many NAS babies are poly-substance exposed in utero. CordStat 12 and 13 drug panels identify the majority of opioids along with many drugs often associated with NAS. Positive results are an objective measure and often times the only flag that baby’s home life may need extra care. Go to www.USDTL.com to learn more.

Q: Is there a test that can differentiate between fetal exposure to heroin and fetal exposure to morphine during the birthing process?

A: Yes. The umbilical cord tissue or meconium from a baby whose mother was administered morphine during delivery will only be positive for morphine. The umbilical cord of a baby that is positive for Meconin and/or Monoacetylemorphine (6-MAM) in addition to morphine is indicative of heroin exposure. 

Knowing the difference can help doctors and nurses provide a better outcome for baby’s treatment plan.

USDTL now offers a sensitive test for Meconin which is helpful in determining exposure to heroin. Visit www.USDTL.com – testing services for information on umbilical cord testing or contact client services at 800-235-2367.

Following are links to recent neonatal news reports:

· WSAZ Huntington, W. Va.
Hospitals and treatment centers are overwhelmed as the medical, social and legal challenges regarding addicted moms and newborns spark problems and progress: http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/WSAZ_INVESTIGATES_Drug_Addicted_Pregnant_Women_Reach_Crisis_Stage_133996608.html

· USA Today reports in florida, the number of babies with withdrawl syndrome is up 26% from 2006. http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/babies/story/2011-11-13/Doctors-see-surge-in-newborns-hooked-on-mothers-pain-pills/51186076/1

· Babies born at a very low birth weight are more likely to have memory and attention problems when they become adults than babies born at a low to normal weight, according to a study published in the December 6, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/583427/?sc=dwhp

gy • Maternal exposure to oxycodone during breastfeeding was associated with a 20.1% rate of infant CNS depression…http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(11)00678-0/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=0022-3476_201201_160_1&elsca4=pediatrics 

Drug and alcohol abuse occurs in all segments of society. A recent survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that among pregnant women, aged 15 to 44 years 4.4% used illicit drugs in the previous month, 10.8% reported alcohol use, and 4.7% admitted binge or heavy drinking. Substance abuse is a contributing factor to a variety of developmental and behavioral conditions. A substance abusing mother is more likely to neglect her newborn. 

Pregnancy may be the one time in a woman’s life when she would be open to treating important issues like drug and alcohol abuse. Addiction is a serious disease that can improve with treatment. Current identification methods rely on maternal self-report, use of a universal screening tool, or positive urine toxicology results. Maternal self-report may be limited by concerns about social stigma or possible legal implications. Screening tools require skill and training to develop effective interview techniques. Urine toxicology is not an effective tool in identifying alcohol abuse and has limited value with drugs. With the exception of marijuana, urine generally provides a 1-3 day window of exposure for illicit drug use. Therefore; the most effective antenatal drug or alcohol treatment program includes objective drug testing to monitor relapse.

Drug and alcohol toxicology test methods are a key component of any treatment program. USDTL offers customizable drug test panels in a variety of sample matrices, hair, nails, blood, urine, oral fluid, meconium, and umbilical cord sections. The laboratory provides a confirmed test result for a specific drug or metabolite. The unique test panels help identify a growing problem of polysubstance abuse.

Visit our website at https://www.usdtl.com/ for more information.