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Revealed: How some Walsall babies are being born addicted to drugs

Around one baby a month is born at Walsall Manor Hospital with an alcohol or drug addiction, new figures have revealed.

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A Freedom of Information request has revealed that 14 babies in 2015/16 were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome – a withdrawal syndrome of infants who develop a 'substance addiction' in the womb due to drug-using mothers.

A total of 84 babies have been born at the Manor with the syndrome since 2011. A total of 23 babies were born with the syndrome in 2011/12, 19 in 2012/13, nine in 2013/14 and 19 in 2014/15.

Walsall Manor Hospital's antenatal team refer pregnant women with a history of drug abuse, or who have been involved in drug abuse, to a pregnancy drug worker at The Beacon Project, part of the Change, Grow, Live charity.

The charity, which specialises in this area, says that if a mother is addicted to a substance during pregnancy then the baby also becomes addicted in the womb. When the baby is born it gets withdrawal symptoms as it is no longer getting its fix through the mother – which is also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Common treatment when a pregnant mother is addicted is for the mother to either go for a detox or they are given a substitute substance.

The hospital sees hundreds of babies born every month. According to figures for June, the trust oversaw 392 births. But the hospital did not want to comment on the FOI figures, referring to the Beacon Project.

Dr Catherine Muyeba, lead consultant psychiatrist for the Change, Grow, Live charity, which oversees the Beacon Project, said: "The babies develop a substance addiction in the womb. If the mother was drinking every day and was addicted then it goes into withdrawal when it is cut off.

"Withdrawal symptoms in babies are similar to adults, struggling to sleep, struggling to eat. But adults also die from withdrawal and so can babies. Alcohol is the most common addiction and then heroin. The important message is that the help is there."

Walsall MP David Winnick said: "The figures are alarming. Obviously this is not the Manor's fault but I am sure they are doing everything they can to prevent this. The responsibility is on the mother first but everything should be done to educate them."

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