Babies born addicted to drugs aren’t easy to spot at first. Contrary to popular belief, they are usually the same weight and size as healthy babies.
About two days later, though, withdrawal kicks in and the babies have difficulty nursing and feeding and are sensitive to light and touch; the addiction passed down from the mother can even cause digestive issues and diarrhea.
The medical term sounds clinical — neonatal abstinence syndrome — but the symptoms are anything but.
“To see a baby like that is stressful,” said Dr. Kenneth Solomon, a neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa. “It takes a toll on the nurses if you spend 12 hours with a child who is going through withdrawal.”
For more on this story, visit José Patiño Girona (The Tampa Tribune).
