Many US newborns were hospitalized due to the use of opioid by their mothers. A lot of infants expressed symptoms of withdrawal from strong painkillers because of the pregnant women who extensively use drugs. Back in 2004, studies have shown that the rural and the urban area were experiencing the same problem.
- The rural environment leaves a mark on the education of pregnant women.
- The use of opioid affects many infants born in rural areas.
- Their mothers are not sufficiently informed by the risks imposed by the use of drugs.
Statistics have proved that one out of a thousand births were jeopardized. Unfortunately, by 2013, the number of affected births in the rural area has increased to about eight cases out of a thousand births. In urban areas, five out of a thousand births were compromised because of the use of drugs and painkillers during pregnancy.
All these rates mainly correspond to pregnant women’s use of opioid. This consists in the use of oxycodone, the use of illegal narcotics and the use of other prescription painkillers. The infants whose mothers usually consume these types of dangerous substances are at risk of developing all kinds of health problems, including breathing, feeding and sleeping issues, excessive crying and seizures.
To cure the babies, they may need to be treated with methadone, and they might need to remain in the hospital for weeks or even months to get healed. This new study developed by researchers at the University of Michigan revealed that approximately 21% of the infants born in the US who expressed withdrawal symptoms back in 2013 were from rural areas.
To obtain these results, scientists have analyzed a database which included hospital discharges provided by the government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The outcome of the new research was published on December 12 in JAMA Pediatrics magazine.
There were also previous studies which proved that there existed a national growth. What is more, different studies unveiled that rural areas were severely affected by the opioid epidemic in the US. The new research has demonstrated that the population needs to be educated through more programs, helping women in rural areas to receive prevention services and also a cure for their addiction.
The lead author of this research, Nicole Villapiano, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, claimed that the opioid epidemic had severely affected the rural communities. Unfortunately, the geographical differences impacted women and their babies because the number of infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome has significantly increased.
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