COVID-19 in Newborn Care: Initial Lessons from the Pandemic

Webinar, Thursday, May 28 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) Please join us on Thursday, May 28th for an interactive webinar on the impact of COVID-19 from the perspectives of nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, families, and other members of the newborn care team. Our expert panel includes Karen Puopolo, MD, PhD, FAAP, a lead author of new AAP guidance and member of ... Read More

Drug Free Moms and Babies Abstract Presented at APHA 2018 Conference

This past fall, Dr. Christa Lilly, PhD presented at the annual American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting and expo in San Diego, California. Her presentation was titled “Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the Drug Free Moms and Babies Project: A rural, Appalachia pilot project to support healthy baby outcomes.” The Drug-Free Moms and Babies Project (DFMB) pilot program (4 sites; … Read More

PUBLICATION: Novel Withdrawal Symptoms of a Neonate Prenatally Exposed to a Fentanyl Analog

The health care team at Marshall University and Cabell Huntington recently published a case report in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care regarding withdrawal symptoms of a neonate exposed to a fentanyl analog in utero. The researchers highlight the complex medical and social issues involved with treating infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome that were exposed to many substances. Read Journal Article Here: Novel Withdrawal ... Read More

Thomas Memorial Hospital Introduces Grace’s Closet

Thomas Memorial Hospital Introduces Grace's Closet for Mothers in Early Recovery Grace's Closet from Recovery Point West Virginia on Vimeo. Within the walls of Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, West Virginia, there are rooms filled with baby clothes, shoes, diapers, baby wipes, toys, and early childhood essentials. They call this area Grace's Closet. The rooms serve as an area for mothers in recovery to get ... Read More

ABC News report highlights WVU Medicine’s care for drug-exposed babies

  View Original Article and Video: https://abcnews.go.com/US/cuddle-volunteers-soothe-west-virginias-drug-exposed-babies/story?id=58535423 Drug exposed babies are an insidious after-effect of the opioid epidemic that has swept West Virginia. A recent ABC news story, "Cuddle volunteers help to soothe West Virginia's drug-exposed babies," spotlighted the care WVU Medicine gives to these newborns. The story shows Pat Holgorsen, one of dozens of cuddle volunteers at WVU Medicine. ... Read More

Controversial Fetal Assault Law Discontinued by TN Lawmakers

From NPR, “A small but pivotal group of Tennessee representatives voted Tuesday to discontinue one of the state’s most divisive criminal laws. Known as “fetal assault,” the measure empowered prosecutors to arrest women who abuse heroin or pain pills during pregnancy, if their babies were born dependent. A one-of-a-kind statute that criminalized drug use by pregnant women is now on … Read More

Senate advances bill to aid drug-dependent newborns

From Reuters, “A bipartisan bill designed to improve the health and safety of babies born to mothers who used heroin or other opioids during pregnancy was approved by a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday. …Reuters found 110 cases of children who were exposed to opioids while in the womb and who later died preventable deaths at home. No more than nine states comply … Read More

CDC says portions of WV, OH & KY at risk for HIV outbreak

From WOWK, “In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control, researchers sought to identify U.S. counties where persons who inject drugs appear especially vulnerable to the rapid spread of Hepatitis C or HIV. Among the top 220 counties identified as high risk areas, large portions of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia were in the top 5% of the … Read More