More babies are born with substance-addiction problems in Bexar County than any other Texas county, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
This is not a new problem. For every year the state has collected data, from 2009 to 2015, Bexar County tops the list.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) occurs when newborns suffer from symptoms of withdrawal after being exposed to opiate drugs while in the mother's womb.
The number of babies with NAS increased 75 percent statewide from 2010 to 2015. Texas only counts NAS cases in Medicaid-funded deliveries, which means the situation is likely worse than reported.
Why is NAS such a prevalent problem locally? What's being done to curb the epidemic?
Guests:
- Lisa Cleveland, Ph.D., R.N., a leader of the Bexar County Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Collaborative and assistant professor at the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- Candace Bartlow, mother and patient partner on the Bexar County Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Collaborative
- Bee Courtois, director of addiction treatment services at the Center for Health Care Services and helped establish CHCS Mommies Program
Have you or someone you know relapsed or overdosed on opioids during or after pregnancy? Call (210) 450-8161 for more information on UT Health San Antonio's MOMS (Maternal Opioid Morbidity Study) research.
