Newborns in Withdrawal

Series produced by Kristin Espeland Gourlay

Image by: Kristin Gourlay

Jonathan, 10 days old

More newborns are entering the world dependent on the opiates their mothers were taking. They're the littlest unintended victims of the nation's growing addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin. Now, a team of doctors is trying to determine the best way to treat them. And a mother and her newborn must face recovery together.

Across the nation, more babies are being born dependent on the opioid drugs their pregnant mothers were taking. The problem is acute in New England, where many of these babies need hospital stays and powerful medication to help them through the painful withdrawal.

In the first part of this two part series, reporter Kristin Gourlay looks into a new effort to pin down what treatments work best for these babies, and what the long term impacts are.

In the second part, we hear the story of a newborn going through withdrawal and a young mother trying to make a new life for him in recovery.

2 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First