Most of us have known someone who’s struggled with addiction of one kind or another. Sometimes we may get mad at them, even thinking, “Why did they ever take this up?”
But there’s one group of drug addicts who cannot be held responsible for the horrible effects they must struggle with, and that’s the babies born to drug-addicted mothers.
Now, new programs across the country are addressing the problematic nature of babies born with addictions themselves, and they are programs that anyone with a big heart can contribute to. No special skills are required, as long as you’re good at cradling and rocking a distressed newborn to help soothe and calm them.
There’s an actual name for what these little ones are born with: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). If you’ve ever known an addict who was going through the horrible physical and emotional cravings of withdrawal from their drug of choice, you’ll understand what these tiny tots are fighting. Except the babies can’t express themselves like an adult, so it has to be even more terrifying for them.
But it turns out that gentle and loving human touch can at least ease some of the trauma these babies are suffering through.
Of course, there is some training involved, to ensure that you are cuddling with the babies in the most effective way. But for many who have already cradled their own little ones through colic and wet diapers, the skill set should come pretty naturally.
The problem is so pervasive now, it’s even reflected in the latest studies by the CDC, which says that NAS has increased in neonatal units by a staggering 383 percent in just the last 17 years.
To find out how you can help, contact any hospitals in your area that cater to neonatal care. You could change a baby from a terrified addict into a well-adjusted toddle just by offering them your love.
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