Millions of adults have to deal with addictions to narcotics and prescription drugs, but some medical mistakes may be making babies addicts as well. According to a recent report at the Sun Sentinel, thousands of babies each year are struggling with withdrawals once they are taken off of strong prescription medications that they were accustomed to in the womb. These newborns are strapped to IVs when they are born because of a birth complication. From their first hours on earth, they are pumped with medicines that their bodies become accustomed to. Once those medications are removed, it leaves the infants jittery and inconsolable.
The Director of the Family Birthplace at the Memorial Hospital West in Hollywood says that they always have at least once drug-addicted baby in the neo-natal ward. The medical care system is becoming overwhelmed with the amount of children that are addicted to drugs from birth. While drug consumption is often the mother’s fault, there are times that the issue is due to a doctor’s prescription. When a physician continues to prescribe addictive medications to a mother while she is pregnant, it can create an addicted baby from the outset.
Babies that are addicted to painkillers at birth often have trouble eating and putting on weight. They also have respiratory problems, and are sensitive to light and noise. Normally, nurses have to wean these babies off of their drug addiction by feeding them decreased amounts of morphine or methadone. Yet the recovery process often takes three months, and even then maybe of the babies have developmental problems and health complications. If your doctor has been prescribing you strong medications during your pregnancy and caused your child to develop an infant addiction, then you may have the right to sue for medical malpractice. Talk to someone today for more information!