Abby Pokorski
Dr. McLaughlin
English 1001
25 September 2017 According to The Tragedy of Opioid Addicted Babies, “Every nineteen minutes, an opioid addicted baby is born in the United States.” Drug addiction has increasingly become one of the biggest issues that our country is facing today. With the many advancements in our world, it is very easy for people to obtain drugs such as heroin which is one of the most widely used. Research has shown, heroin addiction has become an epidemic with the increasing numbers of babies being born to heroin addicted mothers. According to Krans, Cochtran, and Bogen, “From 2000 to 2009, maternal opioid use during pregnancy increased from 1.19 to 5.77 per 1,000 hospital live births per year.” Heroin addiction …show more content…
“More than half of these babies end up in Neonatal Intensive Care as they are experiencing what is known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” (Wenner). In Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, the newborn baby has developed a dependence on the drug which causes them to undergo withdrawal symptoms. It can begin within 24-48 hours after the delivery or as late as five to ten days. The babies experience symptoms such as excessive crying, poor eating, seizures, hyperactive reflexes, and extreme pain. “Even in your darkest, deepest imagination, you can’t imagine their agony. We have some babies who scream as if their limbs are being ripped off” (Hamdan). “Approximately 30-91% of these infants require pharmacological intervention including methadone and morphine” (Hamdan). Because of the addiction they are born with, the babies must be given some form of opioid medication to decrease the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. The entire process of completely weaning the infant from the heroin can take up to several …show more content…
As heroin has become an epidemic crossing all social classes and ethnic groups, it is vital that education and prevention programs be accessible to all. As a society, we are in a state of reacting to crisis instead of being proactive in understanding the causes that lead us here. People need to understand the dangers of the drug to realize that trying it only one time can lead to a lifetime struggle. It is very important that education programs be implemented into all schools rather than having it there for people as an option. To further awareness, there needs to be increased coverage through all forms of social media as that is the best way to convey information. There needs to be a development of task forces that includes former addicts that can provide crucial information to help tailor future education and prevention programs. People need to realize that in the end, the costs of prevention is much less than the billions being spent on treating the addiction as shown in Figure 2.
In conclusion, heroin addiction is climbing at an alarming rate affecting more people than ever before. It is not only impacting the user, but millions of children’s lives are put at risk. From the very moment a heroin addicted woman becomes pregnant, the consequences of her choices are magnified. It is evident that the many effects of heroin are devastating for both the
Dr. McLaughlin
English 1001
25 September 2017 According to The Tragedy of Opioid Addicted Babies, “Every nineteen minutes, an opioid addicted baby is born in the United States.” Drug addiction has increasingly become one of the biggest issues that our country is facing today. With the many advancements in our world, it is very easy for people to obtain drugs such as heroin which is one of the most widely used. Research has shown, heroin addiction has become an epidemic with the increasing numbers of babies being born to heroin addicted mothers. According to Krans, Cochtran, and Bogen, “From 2000 to 2009, maternal opioid use during pregnancy increased from 1.19 to 5.77 per 1,000 hospital live births per year.” Heroin addiction …show more content…
“More than half of these babies end up in Neonatal Intensive Care as they are experiencing what is known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” (Wenner). In Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, the newborn baby has developed a dependence on the drug which causes them to undergo withdrawal symptoms. It can begin within 24-48 hours after the delivery or as late as five to ten days. The babies experience symptoms such as excessive crying, poor eating, seizures, hyperactive reflexes, and extreme pain. “Even in your darkest, deepest imagination, you can’t imagine their agony. We have some babies who scream as if their limbs are being ripped off” (Hamdan). “Approximately 30-91% of these infants require pharmacological intervention including methadone and morphine” (Hamdan). Because of the addiction they are born with, the babies must be given some form of opioid medication to decrease the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. The entire process of completely weaning the infant from the heroin can take up to several …show more content…
As heroin has become an epidemic crossing all social classes and ethnic groups, it is vital that education and prevention programs be accessible to all. As a society, we are in a state of reacting to crisis instead of being proactive in understanding the causes that lead us here. People need to understand the dangers of the drug to realize that trying it only one time can lead to a lifetime struggle. It is very important that education programs be implemented into all schools rather than having it there for people as an option. To further awareness, there needs to be increased coverage through all forms of social media as that is the best way to convey information. There needs to be a development of task forces that includes former addicts that can provide crucial information to help tailor future education and prevention programs. People need to realize that in the end, the costs of prevention is much less than the billions being spent on treating the addiction as shown in Figure 2.
In conclusion, heroin addiction is climbing at an alarming rate affecting more people than ever before. It is not only impacting the user, but millions of children’s lives are put at risk. From the very moment a heroin addicted woman becomes pregnant, the consequences of her choices are magnified. It is evident that the many effects of heroin are devastating for both the