The opioid epidemic has been plaguing West Virginia for years, and the harm that these drugs cause goes much deeper than the user. When women who use opioids find out they’re pregnant, quitting these highly addictive drugs can be difficult, which leads to an increase in neonatal abstinence syndrome cases.
Nearly one in eight infants born in West Virginia between 2020 and 2022 had in utero exposure to opioids, stimulants and/or cannabis, according to researchers at West Virginia University Health Sciences.
Tags: Child exposure NAS Opioid Epidemic Programs Recovery Assistance Research Study