Free Livestream Educational Webinar on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

The Monthly Livestream Educational Series topic for the month of May is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. This educational series webinar is being sponsored by West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Center for Rural & Community Health through funding provided by WVDHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities using the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant. The webinar will be held ... Read More

Opioid Crisis In Medicaid: Saving Mothers And Babies

View Original Health Affairs Blog Post Here Written by: Jennifer E. Moore , Brian T. Bateman , & Stephen W. Patrick The nation’s opioid crisis is well documented; however, little attention has been paid to the epidemic’s effect on pregnant women and infants. In recent years, opioid use disorder during pregnancy has increased along with a concurrent increase in neonatal ... Read More

Preparing your maternal and neonatal units to respond to COVID-19

Upcoming Webinar: Preparing your maternal and neonatal units to respond to COVID-19: Practical guidance from a front-line hospital California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative will be hosting a webinar on preparing your units for COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 24th, and have also launched a website with COVID-19 resources for maternal and infant health. The panel of experts will briefly present the ... Read More

Novel corona virus disease (COVID‐19) in pregnancy: What clinical recommendations to follow?

View Original ACOGS Journal article : Here 1. INTRODUCTION Pregnancy is a state of partial immune suppression which makes pregnant women more vulnerable to viral infections, and the morbidity is higher even with seasonal influenza. Therefore, the COVID‐19 epidemic may have serious consequences for pregnant women. Although the vast majority of cases of COVID‐19 are currently in China, the risk ... Read More

WV Medicaid Services Memorandum on Telehealth COVID-19 and News Link

View Original Memorandum : Telehealth COVID Precautions Message from Cynthia Beane, MSW, LCSW, Commissioner: "Due to the World Health Organization declaring Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic, the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) is allowing all telehealth services listed in the BMS policy manual, and the temporary telehealth services approved during the COVID-19 pandemic, referenced in BMS release memos, ... Read More

FAQs for Opioid Use Disorder Prescribing and Dispensing in the COVID-19 Emergency

The WV Bureau for Behavior Health  would like to share the following  information from SAMHSA on OUD Prescribing and Dispensing during the COVID-19  emergency: 5600 Fishers Lane • Rockville, MD 20857 www.samhsa.gov • 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) FAQs for Opioid Use Disorder Prescribing and Dispensing in the COVID-19 Emergency In response to the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, SAMHSA is providing answers ... Read More

How to Care for Pregnant Patients During the Opioid Crisis

View original PEW news article here As the opioid epidemic has unfolded in the United States, many newborns have had to grapple with the health effects of their mothers’ substance misuse. Federal statistics show that between 2004 and 2014, for example, the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) among babies born to women receiving Medicaid increased more than 400 percent. ... Read More

Study: 8 Percent Of West Virginia Babies Exposed To Alcohol Before Birth

View original WVUTODAY news release here About 8 percent of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol two to four weeks before birth, according to a new study. “Alcohol exposure during the last trimester is associated with a range of developmental problems that may not be overtly expressed as cranio-facial deformities, but when these children go to school, you see ... Read More

West Virginia study published in Pediatric Research on prenatal alcohol exposure in late pregnancy

Local researchers published a study in Pediatric Research estimating the most recent prenatal alcohol exposure prevalence data for the state of West Virginia (WV) and associated factors. Researchers tested  newborn residual dried blood spots and used data from the states PROJECT Watch program to find that the prevalence of prenatal alcohol exposure for all births in WV was 8.10%. This ... Read More