New research has shown that the rates of babies being born with opiate withdrawal symptoms have skyrocketed in the last decade. Addiction is a growing problem in the United States, and more and more people have turned to using heroin since the supply of opiate has gone down. Babies born to mothers who are heroin users face neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal). Their dependence on heroin and other opiates cause them to scream, shake, cry, vomit, and have diarrhea right after they're born. Research also shows that the significant majority of these cases are happening in rural rather than urban areas, a trend that has only sprung up in the past few years.
This article was written to inform its readers of the recent trends of neonatal abstinence syndrome. The ever increasing rates of this in rural areas is disturbing and worrisome. America's addiction problem is really awful right now, and these babies exposed to drugs are a direct consequence of it. The different trends between rural and urban areas can synthesize back to the many social and economic differences between the urban cities and the agrarian societies before the civil war.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/health/heroin-opiates-babies-new-research/index.html
I also read this article and it is extremely sad that these babies have to suffer with something that wasn't their choice. It's also surprising rates have gone up in rural rather than urban areas.
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