Opioids and Pregnancy NAS Attorney in Memphis, Tennessee

Opioid Withdrawal Can Cause NAS In Infants

Little is more unsettling than watching a newborn baby struggle with the withdrawal symptoms caused by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS. The proliferation of opioid pill mills that have flooded Tennessee with vast amounts of pain pills has produced thousands of babies born addicted to opioids, causing them to suffer from NAS. More and more babies are exposed to drugs in utero, as their mothers are addicted to pain pills and take those pills during their pregnancy. Once born, these babies experience painful symptoms that can be life-threatening and hinder their development.

Opioid-Addicted Babies, Unwilling Victims

The only thing worse than the problem created by the big pharmacy companies that distribute opioid and the doctors who overprescribe them is the collateral damage caused by their callous actions. Each time an expectant mother takes a pain pill such as OxyContin, it impacts their fetus. Just as the mother can become addicted to the pain pills, so can her unborn child. Recent studies have shown that more than 70 newborns a day are born addicted to opioids. Those babies suffer from withdrawal symptoms and are more likely to have developmental problems.

Who Is To Blame?

Some of the blame must be placed on the drug manufacturers and the drug distributors. Many people believe that the pharmaceutical manufacturers knew about the dangers of addiction to these drugs, yet they continued to tell doctors to prescribe them knowing that their patients would become addicted. The doctors were encouraged to over prescribe opioids to their patients by giving them incentives to peddle these huge quantities of pills to the public. This was done to maximize the profits of the drug companies and their shareholders.

What Can Be Done?

Fortunately, there are people such as the lawyers at The Gold Law Firm who care about these babies born with NAS. Lawyers across the country have filed lawsuits against the drug manufacturers asking for compensation for the harm done by those who are accountable for this epidemic. While these lawsuits will not end the pain and suffering endured by these babies, we hope to obtain money damages to compensate them, and their parents and caregivers for the harm done. The cost to care for a baby suffering from NAS can be as much as $60,000 higher than caring for a healthy baby.

Do I Have An NAS Baby?

While there has been extensive research done on adults addicted to pain pills, relatively little is known about the long-term effects on babies born addicted to opioids. Doctors have assembled this list of common symptoms of NAS that may develop immediately after birth or some days after:

Diarrhea, fever, continued sweating, vomiting, lack of appetite, dehydration, tremors, convulsions, continued crying, skin rashes, restlessness and difficulty maintaining sleep.

While we don’t know what the long-term effects may be, some of the problems could be early onset of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), delays in mental and physical development, and behavioral problems. At this point, doctors give babies born with NAS small doses of morphine and/or methadone to ween the babies off of the opioids and reduce their symptoms of withdrawal.

What About In Tennessee?

Tennessee is one of the leading states to experience NAS. In both 2016 and 2017, Tennessee had over 1000 NAS births. While most of the NAS babies are in East Tennessee, West Tennessee is seeing an increase in NAS babies as well.

What Are We Doing About The Crisis?

Lawsuits are springing up around the country against the drug manufacturers holding them responsible for their greed and then causing the suffering that goes along with NAS. There have been some proposed class action lawsuits filed in other states. At The Gold Law Firm, we are actively pursuing claims against the makers of Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Dilaudid, Hydrocodone, Percocet, Lortab, OxyContin and Percodan. At least 20 drug companies and businesses are in litigation for causing this opioid epidemic.

Opioid manufacturers have a duty to inform the public and doctors about the possible side effects and addictive nature of these potent drugs. We believe that the big drug companies knew of the risks of addiction and continued to ignore the early warning signs of a drug epidemic while flooding the market to maximize their profits.

You Can Fight Back

The lawyers at The Gold Law Firm can explain your rights to you if you believe your child or a child in your care was born with NAS. Because the window to recover money may be closing soon, you should call the NAS lawyers at The Gold Law Firm now to discuss your case.

At The Gold Law Firm, we fight for parents and their children who have suffered from problems associated with NAS. We will help you obtain justice and compensation for the tragedy you have been made to endure.

Contact The Gold Law Firm

To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer, call us today at (901)-244-5003, or contact us online.