Researchers have recently seen a sharp increase in babies–particularly babies born in rural areas–with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This means that the babies are essentially born addicted to the drugs that their mothers used when pregnant. This phenomenon is just yet another depressing side effect of the sharp increase in the number of people addicted to opioids in the United States.

According to the study, which was published online earlier this week in JAMA Pediatrics, the increase of babies born with NAS in rural areas rose dramatically between 2004 and 2013. During that time period in rural areas, the incidences of NAS increased from 1.2 cases per 1,000 hospital births to 7.5 cases per 1,000 hospital births. It’s important to note that cases in cities rose as well, just not as sharply. In cities, there were 1.4 cases per 1,000 hospital births in 2004, and 4.8 cases per 1,000 hospital births in 2013. There was also some variability from state to state. Hawaii saw the lowest rate, at .7 cases per 1,000 births. West Virginia saw the highest, with 33.4 cases per 1,000 births. The researchers did acknowledge that the increase in cases could also come from the fact that there’s increased recognition of the symptoms, and better reporting metrics than there used to be.

But these numbers aren’t that surprising if you’ve paid attention to the nationwide opioid crisis. Rural areas have been particularly hard hit. Dr. Joshua Brown, a researcher at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy in Gainesville, told Business Insider:

Substance abuse is generally higher in rural communities, where an inability to afford or access care as well as the stigma associated with addiction may mean fewer mothers get the help they need to stop using heroin or abusing prescription painkillers during pregnancy.

President Barack Obama has recently taken some action to try to ameliorate the opioid crisis. The 21st Century Cures Act was recently passed by Congress and signed by Obama, and designates a significant amount of money specifically to fighting the opioid epidemic. This could be a boon for rural communities struggling with addiction, but as shown by recent evidence, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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The 21st Century Cures Act easily passed through the Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 95-4. With the inclusion of grants for mental health care and research on cures for life-threatening diseases, the bill enjoyed bi-partisan support in both chambers. Some progressives, like Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), opposed the bill, fearing it could lead to unsafe drugs hitting the market, and could fail to curtail drug costs.

But President Obama, looking to build upon his health care legacy, which includes passing the Affordable Care Act, said last weekend that the 21st Century Cures Act is an “opportunity to save lives, and an opportunity we just can’t miss.” Highlighting the billions of dollars the bill will pledge toward Alzheimer’s and cancer research, as well as funds to combat the opioid epidemic, Obama added: “It could help us find a cure for Alzheimer’s,” and “could end cancer as we know it and help those seeking treatment for opioid addiction.”

Supporters tout the bill as the first major mental health legislation in nearly a decade. Included in the $6.3 billion package is money to create suicide-prevention programs, and grants to increase the number of  mental health professionals, like psychologists and psychiatrists. The bill also designates $1 billion in state grants to combat the opioid epidemic. It also includes a stipulation that is meant to speed up the approval process of breakthrough medical technologies, which is worrisome to some lawmakers who opposed the bill.

“I cannot vote for this bill,” Warren said last week, citing its watered down safety requirements for new drugs. “I will fight it because I know the difference between compromise and extortion.” And on Tuesday, Sanders, a longtime critic of Big Pharma, said “if you want to lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs, vote against this bill.” He added: “It is time to stand up against the pharmaceutical industry and stand up with the American people who are tired of being ripped of by this extremely greedy industry.”

Vice President Joe Biden was one of the staunchest supporters of the bill, which includes $1.8 billion for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, parts of which were recently named for Biden’s son Beau, who died last year from a brain tumor.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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