U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) recently traveled to Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC to meet with the hospital’s administration and doctors about efforts to address the growing number of infants born dependent on opioids and facing withdrawal.
Casey toured the Pregnancy Recovery Center, an outpatient clinic dedicated to helping pregnant women who are struggling with an opioid addiction, and the neonatal intensive care unit, which treats babies who show signs of neonatal absence syndrome or withdrawal symptoms.
While Magee is confronting the opioid addiction head-on by making significant efforts to help moms and babies suffering from this devastating epidemic, much more support and research is needed. During the tour, Casey discussed the impact of his bill, the Protecting Our Infants Act, has in supporting efforts to collect and disseminate strategies and best practices to prevent and treat maternal opioid use, as well as recommendations for diagnosing and treating babies suffering from withdrawal.
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