Congress considers plan to aid opioid-exposed infants gains ground
(Boston) — A bill intended to help newborns suffering from exposure to opioids is making its way through Congress.
The proposal instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to come up with the best approach for diagnosing and treating ‘”neonatal abstinence syndrome,” and helping states collect data on the problem.
The legislation was recently approved in the U.S. Senate after being introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Bob Casey.
The House earlier approved a similar version of the bill.
Sponsor Democratic Congresswoman Katherine Clark Clark says Congress has a moral obligation to make the opioid crisis a national priority.
She says newborns suffering from opioid withdrawal are the youngest victims of the battle with the epidemic.
