Florida continues to make headlines as as the number of babies born dependent on prescription pain pills increases.

A Wall Street Journal article from December highlights a Florida hospital collaborative that is trying to come up with a standard approach to treating these babies by comparing various approaches.

The article features Dr. Mark Hudak, a neonatologist at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and incoming Healthy Start Coalition Board member.

In 2010, nearly nine out of every 1,000 babies born in Jacksonville and the four surrounding counties experienced newborn withdrawal, compared to six out of every 1,000 statewide.

Due to the high rates of addiction, a Statewide Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse and Newborns was created through HB227 in the 2012 legislature. The Task Force, which began meeting in April 2012, includes representatives from both Healthy Start and the March of Dimes