Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 Signed Into Law

From ACOG, “The bipartisan bill, introduced by Rep. Katherine Clark (D- Mass.) and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), takes proactive steps to help reduce the number of newborns born exposed to drugs, such as opioids, and to improve their care. Specifically, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify and make available recommendations for the prevention … Read More

In TN, Giving Birth To A Drug-Dependent Baby Can Be A Crime

From NPR, “In the United States, a baby is born dependent on opiates every 30 minutes. In Tennessee, the rate is three times the national average. The drug withdrawal in newborns is called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, which can occur when women take opiates during their pregnancies. In the spring of 2014, Tennessee passed a controversial law that would … Read More

Use of Long-Acting Birth Control Surges Among U.S. Women

From The New York Times, “The share of American women on birth control who use long-acting reversible methods like intrauterine devices and implants has nearly doubled in recent years, the federal government reported Tuesday. The share of women on birth control who use the devices rose to 11.6 percent in the period from 2011 to 2013, up from 6 percent … Read More

2015 NAPPSS Safe Infant Sleep Recommendations

From the National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep: “The NAPPSS Coalition is pleased to present the National Action Plan to Increase Safe Infant Sleep: A Blueprint from the National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep. The framework for the plan was developed under the guidance of an Expert Leadership Group. National Action Partners generated ideas at a national action … Read More

2015 National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Conference – Registration Now Open

National DEC’s 12th Annual Conference The Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia October 6–8, 2015 We anticipate a nationwide representation of service providers and professionals, including child welfare providers, substance abuse treatment providers, juvenile and family court judges and attorneys, law enforcement, prosecutors, probation officers, prevention specialists, maternal and child health agencies, physicians, nurses, researchers and evaluators, educators, Tribal communities, community … Read More

Should More Women Give Birth Outside The Hospital?

From NPR, “A recent recommendation from doctors in the United Kingdom raised eyebrows in the United States: The British National Health Service says healthy women with straightforward pregnancies are better off staying out of the hospital to deliver their babies. …Shah was asked by the New England Journal of Medicine to respond to the British recommendation. He compared birth outcomes … Read More

New Report Finds WV Leads Nation in Drug Overdose Deaths

From The Charleston Gazette, “West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the U.S., according to a report released Wednesday, further spotlighting Appalachia’s festering drug abuse problem that is also fueling a rise in hepatitis C in one of the nation’s poorest regions. There were about 34 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 West Virginia residents from 2011-13, up … Read More

Limited Access To Obstetrics Care, Alabama as Unfortunate Case Study

From NPR, “Only 17 of 54 of Alabama’s rural counties have hospitals that offer obstetrics services. It’s one of the state’s greatest healthcare challenges. …Imagine you’re about nine months pregnant, and you start to fill those twinges – contractions – that indicate your baby’s on the way. As the contractions get stronger, you have to consider what to do. If … Read More