IS BORN
WITH ADDICTION TO HEROIN OR
OTHER OPIATES UP HERPTED FROM
DRUG ADDICTED MOTHERS IT'S A
GROWING PROBLEM IN OUR AREA.
IN FACT JACKSONVILLE NOW LEADS
THE STATE WITH THE MOST BABIES
BORN SUFFERING WITH DRUGS IN
THEIR SYSTEM.
>> INVESTIGAT MINOR WENTZ
INSIDE THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE
CARE UNIT AT U.S. HEALTH HE
VEING THE WITHDRAW HUNDREDS
ARE GOING THROUGH AND NOW THE
MOM THAT REGRETS HER CHOICE.
>> WHEN BABIES BORN ADDICTED
IT'S NEONATAL ABSTINENCE
SYNDROME.
DURING THE PREGNANCY DRUGS LIKE
HEROIN PASS FROM THE PLACENTA
TO WOMAN AND BABY
TO WOMAN AND BABIES BECOME AS
DEPENDENT ON DRUG AS MOTHER.
TONIGHT A LOCAL MOM THAT
REGRETS GETTING HIGH ON HEROIN
WHIL PREGNANT WANT HER STORY
HEARD IN HOPES OF HELPING OTHER
ADDICTED MOTHERS BY SXOTSIN
THE GRUELI PROCESS OF WEEP
AGO I NEWBORN OFF DRUGS.
>> ONLY A FEW WEEKS OLD AND
ALREADY.
>> PAIN AND SUFFERING IS ALL
THEY KNOW IN THEIR SHORT LIVES
THE CRY FROM BABY BORN ADDICTED
AND HIGHER PITCHED THAN THAT OF
HELMY PAINY AND ALL BECAUSE THE
MOMENT THEIR UMBILICAL CORD IS
SUPPLY.
>> I TRIED TO QUIT AT LEAST
THREE OR FOUR TIMES DURING MY
PREGNANCY AND I JUST COULDN'T.
ANY TIME I HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO
TRY TO MAKE A BAG MY BRAIN WAS
ALREADY THERE.
AND BEFORE MY BODY.
>> THIS MOTHER WHO WE'LL CALL
SARAH SAYS SHE WAS FULLY
FUNCTIONING HEROIN ADDICT.
WHO EVERY MORNING AFTERNOON AND
EVENING SNORTED THE DRUG
THROUGHOUT HER PREGNANCY.
SHE SPENT DPZ 80 DAY ON OPIATE
FULLY AWARE SHE WAS SACRIFICING
HER UNBORN SON'S HEALTH.
SHE SAYS THE HEROIN ADDICTION
WAS STRONGER THAN THE BOND WITH
HER UNBORN BABY AND AT THE SAME
RISK.
>> WHEN I WOULD GO AWAY FROM
MY CHILD AND USE I WOULD COME
BACK IN AND COOK, CLEAN, DO
LAUNDRY, DO BEDTIME STORY
LAUNDRY, DO BEDTIME STORIES AND
LIVING.
NOBODY KNEW I WAS USING.
I WENT TO ALL MY DOCTORS
APPOINTMENTS.
>> SARAH'S DEEP DARK SECRET
WAS EXPOSED THE MOMENT HER SON
WAS BORN.
INCONSOLABLE.
DOCTORS RAN TESTS KNOWING
SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT.
AND AFTER RECEIVING THE RESULTS
SARAH LEARNED ABOUT THE HEART
WRENCHING PROCESS OF WEENING
HER SECOND SON OFF OF HEROIN.
>> I CRY
>> I CRIED ALL THE TIME JUST
STARING AT HIM KNOWING THERE
IT.
>> WHY WAS IT PAINFUL FOR YOU.
>> PAINFUL TO KNOW I DID THAT
TO MY CHILD.
THAT I HAD BECAUSE I COULD NOT
QUIT HE HAD TO HURT FOR ME.
>> A NEWBORN PHYSICALLY
WITHDRAWALS FROM HEROIN LIKE AN
TREMBLE
TREMBLING, CRYING, VOMITING,
INCREASED MUSCLE TONE AND EVEN
SEIZURES.
NO AMOUNT OF SWADLE
NO AMOUNT OF SWADLING, HOLDING
OR ROCKING CAN SOOTHE AN
ADDICTED BABY AND INSTEAD
THEY'RE GIVEN MORPHINE IN SMALL
DOSE AMINGS THAT TAPER OFF.
WORKING IN THE NI HE SAYS
MOTHERS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE
EFFECT OF THEIR OWN SELFISHNES
SELFISHNESS.
>> IT'S PIN FULL FOR THEM AND
YOU FIND THEM EXCESSIVE
IRRITABILITY AND CONTINUOUS
CRYING NOT ABLE TO CON SPOL
THEM AND THEY CANNOT FEED WELL.
THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH WEIGHT
SWEATING.
>> ACCORDING TO CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL THE HIGHEST
NUMBERS OF INFECTED BABIES IN
MAINE, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA,
TENNESSEE, AND RIGHT HERE IN
FLORIDA.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THE WORST
RIGHT HERE IN DUVAL COUNTY
ACCORDING TO U.S. HEALTH
RECORDS.
IN 2014, 1231 BABIES WERE
TREATED FOR NEONATAL ABSTINENCE
SYNDROME AND IN 2015 THE NUMBER
YUM.
ED TO 165 BABIES TREATE AND 1
ED TO 165 BABIES TREATED AND
137 BABIES WERE BORN SUFFERING
THROUGH WITHDRAWALS.
THAT'S JUST U.S. HEALTH.
FOR ALL OF DUVAL COUNTY SADLY
STATE STATISTICS SHOW A BIGGER
PROBLEM FOR EVERY 10,000 LIVE
BIRTHS BETWEEN 2011 AND 2013
DUVAL COUNTY HAD 450 HEROIN
ADDICTED BABY
ADDICTED BABIES AND FOLLOWED BY
HILS BOWO COUNTY WITH 324 AND
PASS COCOUNTRY 256 AND BRAVEARD
COUNTY 31 AND VELUCIA COUNTY
201 HEROIN ADDICTED BABIES.
>> WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING MORE
THAN A BILLION EVERY YEAR
BEHIND THE CONDITION AND MAJOR
PART PREVENTED RECOMMENDATION.
>> TOO OFTEN NEWBORNS ARE NOT
EXPOSED TO HEROIN THE PREGNANT
ADDICTS ARE ALCOHOLICS AND
EXPERIMENTING WITH OTHER DRUGS.
>> THE INCIDENT OF DRUG USAGE
AMONG PREGNANT MOMS HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANTLY USING.
>> IN FACT THE NUMBER OF BABIES
BORN ADDICTED TO HEROIN HAS
BEEN ON THE INCREASE SINCE 2011
FOLLOWING STATEWIDE PILL MILL
CRACKDOWN ORDERED BY ATTORNEY
GENERAL THAN BUILDING HERE IN
ORANGE PARK USED TO BE A BILL
MILL AND FOLLOWING RAIDS
STATEWIDE HEROIN BECAME POPULAR
DRUG OF CHOICE.
>> THE REASON IT'S CHEAPER
LOCALLY.
DOCTORS SAY THESE BABIES WILL
LIKELY SUFFER LONG TERM
NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND
NEARLY 1 IN 10 CAN EXPECT TO
THEIR LIFETIME.
THEY ALSO HAVE A GREATER CHANCE
OF BECOMING A DRUG ADDICT LATER
IN LIFE.
>> BABIES THAT HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED TO DRUGS IN EARLY
NEONATAL LIFE EVENTUALLY ARE AT
HIGH RISK FOR BEING DRUG
DEPENDENT.
THEY CAN GO TO DRUG USAGE OR
FUTURE.
>> THE ADDICTION DOESN'T END
NEWBORNS.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS WITH HARM
A BABY ADICKED TO HEROIN FOR
LIFE.
SOMETHING THIS MOTHER WISHES
SHE HAD KNOWN BEFORE SHE GAVE
BIRTH AND HAS THIS MESSAGE FOR
ADDICTED MOTHERS.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH
THAT PAIN ANYMORE.
AND ANYONE THAT IS USING OR
ADDICTED TO USING THAT PAIN OF
CONSTANTLY HAVING TO TASTE THE
HIGH AND OPTIONS I NEVER EVEN
KNEW DETOX EXISTED AND DIDN'T
KNOW REHAB EXISTED.
>> AVERAGE HOSPITAL STAY FOR
DRUG ADDICTED BABY IS 1 DAYS
AND COST OF TREATING BABIES
BORN ADDICTED IS 15 TO 16 TIMES
CHILD.
NATIONALLY, CARING FOR THESE
INNOCENT VICTIMS ROSE TO 1.5
STATISTICS.
SO, TOM AND JOY, IT IS VERY
EXPENSIVE PROCESS AS WELL AS
VERY PAINFUL ONE FOR THE YOUNG
BABIES THEMSELVES.
>> ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS OUT
THERE LOCALLY FOR MOTHERS WHO
ARE ADIINGTED WHO MIGHT BE
WATCHING RIGHT NOW?
>> ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY
THIS MOTHER WHO WAS ADDICTED TO
HEROIN WANTED TO SPEAK OUT
ABOUT THIS ISS IS BECAUSE SHE
WAS UNAWARE THERE ARE SO MANY
LOCAL PROGRAMS IN THE AREA
SHE'S BEING TREATED GATEWAY
WHICH ALLOWS FOR HER CHILDREN
TO LIVE WITH HER ONSITE WHILE
SHE IS GETTING THE HELP SHE
NEEDEN AND NOW FOR MORE
INFORMATION FOR HELP AT GATEWAY
904-36-4661.
DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO WRITE WITH.
WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION ON OUR
WEB SITE RIGHTS NOW AND
NEWS4JAX.
YOU'LL FIND A DIRECT LINK
THROUGH THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND
MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION TO
HELP YOU FIND PROPER TREATMENT
NEAR YOU.
NOW, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO
NOTE IF YOU'RE PREGNANT AND
DOING HEROIN AND STOP COLD
TURKEY IT CAN BE VERY DAMAGING
TO THE CHILD.
SO, THE BEST BET IS TO NOT DO
SEEK THE HELP FOR BENEFITS OF