➡ From Child Welfare Information Gateway NJ:
US: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS): MA Taskforce Report Offers Path to Advancing Parent and Infant Health
Community Catalyst – May 15, 2017
Opioid misuse is a multi-generational issue that requires supports along the lifespan. Massachusetts is disproportionately affected, placing it second in the nation for prenatal exposure (13.7 per 1,000) after the East/South Central region of the U.S. Nationally, the rate is about five babies out of every 1,000 births. The average duration of inpatient treatment for NAS is 19 days with an average cost of $30,000, placing severe strain on health systems to support affected infants and their families. Through this lens, the Massachusetts Interagency Task Force on Newborns with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome published a highly anticipated report that provides key recommendations about how to address the current gaps in care and more deliberately address the needs of infants and parents through collaboration and coordination across health and human services.
http://www.communitycatalyst.org/blog/neonatal-abstinence-syndrome-nas-ma-taskforce-report-offers-path-to-advancing-parent-and-infant-health#.WRr0Aty1sdU