RISE IN DRUG ADDICT BABIES

A SHOCKING 126 drug-addicted mums gave birth in South Yorkshire in a
year, The Star can reveal. The data includes new mums dependent on
alcohol, heroin, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, solvents and tobacco.

Latest figures available for South Yorkshire alone show 126
drug-dependent mothers had babies in the county in 2005/06 - up from
114 in 2004/05, 78 in 2003/04 and 60 in 2002/03.

Since 2006, South Yorkshire has been included within the larger
Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority, where 163 Yorkshire
babies were born hooked on drugs last year.

The babies were all diagnosed with drug withdrawal symptoms shortly
after their birth.

The figures include both babies born to drug addicts, and those whose
mothers required the "therapeutic use" of drugs during pregnancy.

The Government figures, which cover 2006/07, show more babies were
born with withdrawal symptoms because of maternal use of drugs in
Yorkshire and the Humber than in any other NHS region.

A Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman
confirmed "a number of women" attend the Jessop Wing maternity
hospital with drug and alcohol problems.

"It has a range of services to help support women through pregnancy
and employs specialist midwives to deal with drug and alcohol
issues," she added.

At Rotherham Hospital an additional specialist midwife has been
employed to help deal with mothers and babies with drug problems.

"Any child born with a dependency because of the mother's addiction
to drugs is a concern," said a spokesman.

"Each year the Trust deals with a number of babies born to mothers
who use illegal or recognised therapeutic drugs."

A Doncaster Primary Care Trust spokesman said the organisation was
aware of the issue and taking steps to deal with it.

The trust is employing a specialist midwife to work with mums-to-be
who have drug problems and works with drug treatment services in the
borough to try to help them end their addictions before they give birth.

"This way we are trying to intervene early before they become
parents," he added.

Nationally, the number of heroin addicts who gave birth rose by 98
per cent from 535 to 1,059 between 2002/03 and 2006/07.

Smokers accounted for the second largest number of cases, up 46 per
cent from 440 to 641, while the number of alcoholics giving birth
jumped from 22 to 82 in the five years.

Births by mothers addicted to cannabis rose from 19 to 100
nationally, to cocaine from 25 to 32 and to hallucinogens from 14 to 16.

The information was released to MPs by Health Minister Dawn Primarolo
following a request from Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb.

Mr Lamb said: "These babies have a tragically unfair start in life.

They are being put at an enormous disadvantage by their mothers'
addiction to drugs.

"As well as the obvious damage to their health, they are more likely
to need intervention from social services, as a drug-dependent parent
will probably not be able to care for their child alone.

"This is a harsh wake up call showing the urgent need to tackle the
devastating impact of drug addiction in this country."