Youngstown Daily Legal News

Proposed legislation would require reporting of newborns born with drugs in system

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: November 14, 2013

Rep. Lynn Wachtmann has signed on as the sponsor of a bill that would requiring reporting of newborns diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

“Neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS is the result of exposure to addictive illegal or prescription drugs while in the mother’s womb or through breast milk,” said Wachtmann, R-Napoleon, in recent testimony for House Bill 315.

“Drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates and narcotics such as heroin, pass through placenta to the baby during the pregnancy causing these infants to be born dependent on harmful drugs.”

Wachtmann said children born with a dependency on addictive drugs face a “tragically painful beginning and an uncertain future.”

“At birth, drug dependent babies have symptoms ranging from rapid breathing, trembling and seizures to vomiting and slow weight gain,” he said. “Exposure to certain drugs can lead to birth defects, low birth weight, premature birth and sudden infant death syndrome.”

Wachtmann said caring for babies afflicted with NAS places a burden on hospitals and insurance payers, such as Medicaid.

“According to information provided by the Ohio Hospital Association, treating newborns with NAS was associated with over $70 Million in charges and nearly 19,000 days in hospitals in 2011,” he said.

HB 315 would task each maternity unit, newborn care nursery and maternity home with reporting to the Ohio Department of Health the number of newborns diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome or another similar condition indicating drug addiction or dependence who were born to state residents of this state during the preceding calendar quarter.

The bill states the information must be reported no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter.

According to a bill summary, ODH is responsible for licensing maternity units, newborn care nurseries and maternity homes.

Maternity homes are facilities for pregnant girls and women where accommodations, medical care and social services are provided during the prenatal and postpartum periods.

If the bill is enacted, the summary states that maternity units, nurseries and homes that fail to comply with its provisions could face fines and suspended licenses from the health department.

“I believe that by requiring hospitals and maternity homes to report incidence of NAS, the department of health and other agencies can use this information as an indicator that will help measure the trend of opiate and illegal drug use across the state,” Wachtmann said, adding that members of the Prescription Drug Addiction and Healthcare Reform study committee had the opportunity to tour the neonatal intensive care unit at ProMedica hospital in Toledo.

“At ProMedica, I saw first hand the impact that drug addiction is having on Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens.”

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