The sad truth is that many pregnant women are addicted to opiates and other drugs and though they may try their best to stop taking drugs for the sake of their babies, the pull of addiction is often too strong.
As of December 2015, over 130,000 babies have been born with drug addiction in the U.S. alone.
Many of these babies die after being taken home from the hospital and countless others suffer a severe process of withdrawal.
Dr. Lauren Jansson, a pediatrician, calls the rising incidence of newborns addicted to drugs, “a crisis and an epidemic” in the United States.
According to U.S. law, hospitals are required to report all babies with drug dependency.
In this video, we see a newborn undergoing withdrawal symptoms such as uncontrollable shaking and drooling.
Baby Brixton’s mom Clorissa says she was shooting heroin even when she was in labor.
We also learn the story of Reanne, a mother who accidentally suffocated her baby while she was high.
This heartbreaking reality is true for many countries around the world.
Since 2010, there has been a total of 110 of preventable infant deaths due to drug addiction passed down from mother to baby.
Read: The effects of smoking and passive smoking on children
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