Sen. Becker’s Bill to Study Drug Addiction in Infants Heads to Governor’s Desk

6

 

Becker_2012_tnState Sen. Vaneta Becker’s (R-Evansville) bill to encourage better reporting of infant health problems caused by drug addiction in mothers gained final legislative approval today. Senate Bill 408 now heads to the governor’s desk, where it could be signed into law.

 

Drug-related health problems in newborns, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), can arise when mothers abuse drugs while pregnant. NAS can cause infants to experience drug dependency, seizures, slow weight gain and many other dangerous symptoms.

 

SB 408 requires the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) to facilitate study and collaboration among medical experts in order to determine best practices for identifying and reporting NAS cases.

 

“SB 408 will bring everyone to the table to talk about this tragic health concern among newborns,” Becker said. “These discussions will hopefully lead to better awareness of NAS, stronger strategies to deter drug abuse by pregnant women and more effective treatments for infants born with drug dependencies.”

 

According to the Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force, the overall rate of newborns being diagnosed with NAS has tripled over the past decade. In 2009, approximately one infant born per hour in the United States had signs of drug withdrawal.

 

SB 408 passed both the House of Representatives and Senate unanimously.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

6 COMMENTS

  1. OK, so let me ask, Indiana’s methods of report NAS is so horrible, dilapidated, out dated, in such a shambles and the doctors and ISDH are so ignorant about what constitutes a NAS a law is required? Baloney. Just like I think Rieken’s (D) bill is nothing but political hay this from a Republican is just more hay.

    Again, like Rieken (D) was able to cite numbers, here we have Becker citing from a task force with numbers. So ladies, you both already know the answers. By the way Becker, I don’t consider this to be a feather in your cap.

  2. Would it not be great if all these politicians were required to wear a “Nascar style” outfit that would have their top fifteen – twenty donators and lobbyist patches (size depends on the percentage of total representative intake).

    Then we can see quickly, where their bills and thinking originate from.

    Is it true that abundance of outside money from lobbyist and donors are tainting the clear thinking (tongue in cheek) of politicians? With the rising cost of being elected and once there the money it takes to get the politicians ear, there is not much left for us common voters?

    • What a great idea and a “law” badly needed. Trying to slog through places like opensecrets.org and government websites providing similar information is time consuming. I think it a really sad state of affairs a person has to do thesis level research *just* to figure out what “motivates” a given politician.

      I think it interesting Rieken’s bill if not with some similarities at least in the same vein as Becker’s (R) the later gets passed. Both of these instances smacks of something other than “think of the children”.

  3. We’ve all known that women who use drugs while pregnant put the infant at risk for more than 40 years.

    But really?!?! We need a bill for this?!?!

    In the spirit of this, I purpose that the State of Indiana set aside funding to study the wetness of water. This will bring a collaberation of experts to the table to discuss better awarness of the wettness of water and strategies of staying dry while around water.

Comments are closed.