A battle from first breath

Born addicts The number of babies being born dependent on drugs has grown nearly fivefold in the United States, as data available between 2003 to 2012 show, the last year for which statistics is available. Opioids are the main culprit, and states such as Kentucky are particularly hard-hit, where 15 of every 1,000 infants born here are to mothers dependent on opioids. The child seen in the picture was born to a mother who had been hooked on oxycodone. Urban medical centres across the U.S. are now gearing up to expand neonatal intensive care units or to build separate facilities to accommodate an influx of opioid-exposed babies arriving from rural communities. Many of their mothers are poor, struggling with addiction and looking for reliable medical care. Generally, treatment for such babies is expensive and can go on for months. The problem is also making doctors rethink the current strategy for care — of separating child from mother. Experts say having mothers with their children can make a dramatic difference to treatment outcomes and recovery.