What is neonatal abstinence syndrome?

When a pregnant woman eats, drinks or intakes anything into her body, chances are it will end up being part of the fetus’ diet. As such, expectant mothers are told not to consume alcohol or foods that could be potentially dangerous to an unborn child, like sushi. Their prescriptions are also heavily regulated in order to protect the child. But, one way or another, addictive substances sometimes get to the fetus, causing issues.

When a child is born with an addiction to substances, they can often experience a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. Many times, NAS is caused by expectant mothers consuming alcohol or illegal drugs, like heroin. Essentially, it causes the baby to experience withdrawal once it is born. Common symptoms include excessive crying, fever, sleep problems, vomiting and other symptoms often associated with withdrawal in adults.

While it is easy to dismiss this condition because you do not use illegal drugs, more and more cases have been springing up all over the country. This is because doctors have been prescribing painkillers like oxycodone to expectant mothers in order to ease their pain and depression. As such, the rate of NAS has substantially increased, leading to premature birth, birth defects and other complications in the delivery process.

Now, these mothers are taking a stand. With the extended treatment needed for babies born with NAS, medical bills tend to skyrocket. Rather than just sitting back, these strong women all over the nation, including New Orleans, are holding their negligent doctors accountable for their prescriptions. If you have a child who was born with NAS due to drugs you were prescribed by your doctor, hire a qualified lawyer and claim compensation.