Speaking out on behalf of the voiceless
As parents, we’ll go to the ends of the earth for our kids. As soon as they’re born — and during pregnancy — we hope and pray for their good health. As soon as they’re born, we swaddle them, feed them, and breathe a sigh of relief when we see their little bodies breathing and crying as they should. Unfortunately, for mothers suffering from opiate addiction, this isn’t the reality.
As the number of opiate users across the commonwealth rises, so does the number of babies born dependent on opioids, exhibiting what’s called neonatal abstinence syndrome — a group of problems brought on when babies withdraw from exposure to narcotics. Body tremors, vomiting, high-pitched crying, fever, and seizures are all withdrawal symptoms opiate-dependent newborns show hours after being born. Additionally, they may be unable to sleep or eat, have unusually stiff bodies, and have trouble sucking out of a bottle. Straight after birth, these children are often whisked away, separated from their mothers, and moved to more sophisticated hospitals. While there are different courses of treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome, treatment centers can be located far from new mothers still recovering from addiction, requiring significant travel when they lack the physical and economic resources to do so. Most often we see these cases in rural Virginia, specifically in the southwest, and medical centers across the country are rapidly expanding to meet the medical needs of these patients.
As a pediatric neurologist, I’ve cared for children with lifelong physical and behavioral problems due to their mother’s substance use, and I believe there are a few ways we can lower the amount of children born opioid-dependent in the commonwealth. First, a Northam administration will partner with the General Assembly to fund supportive housing for people with addiction with a focus on pregnant and parenting women. Homelessness and unstable housing are major barriers to recovery, and securing safe and secure housing in sober living homes is critical to reuniting families and supporting ongoing recovery. Second, we should develop a home visiting program for pregnant women with addiction and substance-exposed infants including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Third, we must ensure that all women struggling with opioid use have access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) so they can focus on recovery and choose when to become pregnant. LARCs should be available immediately after delivery to all women who choose this option, which will help prevent future cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome. As we make a plan to address the opioid epidemic from all angles, I’ll make sure that law enforcement has our support as they encounter the effects of addiction, provide support and training to Virginia’s on-the-ground workforce, and promote non-opioid pain treatment.
Ending Virginia’s opioid epidemic for good starts by recognizing that addiction is a disease. As a doctor, I know how important medical treatment is in these situations, but as a parent, I know the weight small words of hope, support, and community carry when the health of your child is on the line.
As a doctor and father, I often come back to the proverb, “Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable”—and that’s how I plan to serve Virginia as governor, too.
