Born Drug Free Florida is a new initiative started by the Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Office of Attorney General and the Florida Department of Health to prevent occurrences of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in Florida through the use of education and assistance.

NAS affects babies born to mothers who ingested prescription medications and other drugs and alcohol during their pregnancy. Babies diagnosed with NAS are born battling withdrawal symptoms from drugs and/or alcohol. These symptoms can range from blotchy skin with a fever, to extreme sensitivity to light and sound, to respiratory problems and seizures.

In 2011, an estimated seven out of every 1,000 babies in Florida were born with NAS. The year before, nine out of every 1,000 newborns in Northeast Florida were reported born with withdrawal symptoms.

Born Drug Free Florida hopes to put an end to the number of babies born with NAS by urging women to talk to their doctors about all medications they may be taking. The campaign also offers screening education for friends, family and practitioners to recognize the signs of drug abuse and how to respond properly.

Locally, the Azalea Project, a special Healthy Start initiative addresses this issue by providing outreach, education and support to substance-abusing pregnant and parenting women. Services are available to women with a history of substance abuse and those current abusers.

InsideOut Dad is a unique set of fatherhood modules that include 12 core sessions along with 26 optional sessions to allow the curriculum to be tailored to fit the unique needs of fathers in specific correctional facility or setting. Ultimately, the goal of the curriculum is to increase the proportion of children growing up and the mother of their children with involved, responsible and committed fathers. The evidence-based program was developed by the National Fatherhood Initiative.

The Coalition began InsideOut Dad classes in the Baker County Jail in July 2012.  Eleven fathers participated in the first series of classes, and at least 17 have taken part in the latest series at the facility that concludes in July.

Pregnant women should not drink alcohol anytime during pregnancy. There is no safe type of alcohol, amount of alcohol or time to drink during pregnancy. Women who drink during pregnancy put their baby at risk for stillbirth, miscarriage and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).

FASDs affect an estimated 800 to 8,000 babies born in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FASDs are 100 percent preventable.

Because a woman may not know she has become pregnant for a number of weeks, it is important for health care professionals to screen and address patients who may have risky alcohol use.

How to screen and intervene:

1. Identify women with risky levels.

• At-risk alcohol use is defined as more than seven drinks per week or more than three drinks per occasion for non-pregnant women and any alcohol use for pregnant women.
• All women who plan to become pregnant or are pregnant should be screened for alcohol use. Most women who have risky alcohol levels do not show signs during a physical examination. It is important to ask detailed questions and for a medical history.

2. Encourage healthy behaviors through intervention.

• Educating women about their drinking levels and ways to reduce their use, such as choosing to surround themselves with others who do not drink, can be beneficial.
• Request a follow-up appointment.

3. Refer alcohol-dependent patients for professional treatment.

The CDC recommends this guideline for referral and diagnosis of patients who have a high risk of developing a FASD. Information provided by the CDC and Medscape.

Forty-nine percent of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, therefore it is important for all women to improve their health now, before they maybe become pregnant to ensure a healthier pregnancy and birth outcome.

Show Your Love, the national campaign launched by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention aims to improve the health of women and babies by promoting preconception health and healthcare. The campaign’s goal is to increase the number of women who plan their pregnancies and encourage them to take steps to a healthier lifestyle before becoming pregnant.

Good preconception health is important for all women. Talk to your patients about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health, such as exercising, reducing stress and quitting smoking. Encourage your patients to use these checklists (Planning to become pregnant, not planning to become pregnant) provided by the CDC  as a tool to record and monitor their goals.

For premature babies, breast milk can be life saving. Breast milk is easier to digest and contains essential nutrients infants need that cannot be replaced by formula. The antibodies and hormones in breast milk are a baby’s first defense against illness and disease — a defense which premature babies are often denied, almost half of mothers to preterm babies are unable to produce an ample supply of breast milk.

Prematurity is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the United States. In 2012 13.3 percent of babies born in Northeast Florida were born prematurely.

Wolfson Children’s Hospital became the first health care facility in Northeast Florida to provide donated milk to premature babies in its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The hospital receives milk from two different milk banks that operate under the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The HMBANA currently serves 39 states in the United States and three provinces in Canada.