The scourge of opiate addiction isn’t just affecting teens and adults in the heartland. According to a new study, infants are being exposed to opioids in the womb at a much faster rate in rural communities than in urban settings.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, the rate of babies born addicted to opiates increased twice as fast in rural areas from 2004 to 2013. During that period, the number of rural babies being exposed in the womb to heroin and other opiates grew more than six times over. The problem was less severe in cities, where the number of such babies increased threefold.
These babies are diagnosed with an ailment known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. Babies with NAS experience painful withdrawal symptoms from narcotics, including tremors, high-pitched crying and seizures.