New law targets prosecution for addicted babies
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JACKSON, Tenn.- Since July 1, physicians are now required to report all infants born addicted to drugs to the Department of Children’s Services. They could face criminal charges. “I feel guilty for the things that my children went through and things that they saw,” said one West Tennessee mother, who WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News agreed not to identify. She said, feeding an appetite for pain killers was more important than delivering a healthy daughter. “I knew throughout the whole pregnancy and I still continued using,” she said. Her daughter was born six years ago addicted to opiates like Vicodin. It took six weeks for doctors to wean the newborn off the drugs. Already this year, more than 460 babies in Tennessee have been born addicted. “About 42 percent of these baby’s mothers had been prescribed opiates by their physicians that had been treating them,” said Dr.Scott Guthrie with the NIC-U at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. The Department of Children’s Services will investigate the cases and decide if criminal charges should be filed. One mother said she needed a law like this years ago.”I wish it would’ve been in place when I was pregnant with my daughter. It probably would’ve saved her a lot of heartache and a lot of pain,” she said. She said this could also come with a negative consequence. “When I was an addict and heavy using, heavy addiction, I would’ve probably avoided prenatal care because of prosecution and that’s putting your child at even more risk,” she said.
