By Janice Neumann
(Reuters Health) - The rate at which infants are suffering withdrawal after being born to mothers on opioid pain killers has increased five-fold since 2000, according to a new U.S. study.
"I think the scope of the problem is staggering," said Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist who led the research. "It really calls into question, are we using these opioid prescriptions too much and should we be using them more appropriately in pregnant women."
The study in the Journal of Perinatology found that from 2009 to 2012 the number of babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased nationally from 3.4 per 1,000 births to 5.8 per 1,000, reaching a total of 21,732 infants in 2012. A previous study led by Patrick had found a three-fold increase from 2000 to 2009.
