An infant is born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) every 25 minutes due to prenatal use of opioids by expectant mothers, in what has become a “rapidly increasing” public health problem, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report announced by West Virginia Republican leaders.
The GAO study was required by legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV), the NAS Healthy Babies Act, which was successfully included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that was signed into law in 2016, thanks to the work of both Jenkins and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
The GAO report found that the number of reported cases of NAS rose almost five-fold from 2000 to 2012 and that in one 2015 study, Medicaid covered treatment in more than 80 percent of NAS cases.
“We hear heartbreaking stories every day about the tragic deaths and painful struggles of individuals dealing with addiction, but some of the most heartbreaking are those of infants who are exposed to opioids before they’re even born,” Capito said. “It’s important that we do more to draw attention to this issue and take action to address it. That’s why I pushed to make sure CARA included a provision requiring this study and have continued working to advance legislation that will help these infants.”
The GAO report released on Oct. 4 recommends that additional efforts should be undertaken to educate mothers about prenatal care, and that the stigma of pregnant women using opioids should be addressed to encourage more women to seek treatment.
“Suffering through withdrawal from exposure to drugs such as heroin and other opioids is a horrific way to start one’s life, but tragically that’s the reality for many newborns in West Virginia and across the country,” Jenkins said. “I was proud to sponsor and champion the law that required this study so we could expand our knowledge of NAS and how to care for these precious newborns. Every child deserves the best chance for a healthy start in life.”
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a strategy in May 2017 to address NAS, the report found. However, GAO noted that HHS did not set a timeline to execute this strategy and therefore HHS “increases the risk that its recommendations for addressing NAS will not be implemented.”
Capito also praised a facility in Huntington, West Virginia, called Lily’s Place that provides specialized care for infants hurt by NAS.
“However, many families across the country don’t have access to that kind of care or don’t even know it’s a possibility,” she said. “By raising awareness of treatment options like those available at Lily’s Place and exploring strategies to help infants in need, we can really begin to address this tragic aspect of the opioid crisis. This study is another step in a much larger fight, but it’s a welcome and useful tool that I know will inform our efforts moving forward.”
Jenkins agreed that the study demonstrates that NAS care can be effectively provided outside hospital settings at places like Lily’s Place.
“It also found that we can and must do more to work with caregivers in our communities,” Jenkins added. “Based on this report’s findings, I am ready to draft new legislation to find and promote solutions to help these babies and stop the opioid epidemic.”
Capito and Jenkins have teamed up in the past to promote legislation that helps newborns suffering from addiction and provides support to families. In May, the lawmakers reintroduced the Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act. The bill would allow residential pediatric recovery facilities to be recognized as providers under Medicaid in addition to hospitals.