‘A significant public health threat’ | Neonatal abstinence syndrome rates in East Tennessee among highest in state

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Every 24 minutes — a baby nationwide is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency’s 2020 data revealed that’s nearly 60 newborns a day, or about six per every 1,000 newborns in the hospital across the U.S.

“With the increase in the opioid epidemic, that affects women, which ultimately affects babies,” said Lovie Stallworth, a physician at Servolution Health Services .

The state department of health called NAS a “significant public health threat.”

“From our most recent data, we saw that nearly 800 cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome were reported from recent births,” said Elle Peeples, Director of Primary Prevention Services for Metro Drug Coalition. “Most of the time, they’re associa