GREENFIELD — Two Baystate Franklin Medical Center health care providers have been appointed to a state task force formed to address the needs of infants born dependent on opioids.
According to hospital spokesman Brendan Monahan, Dr. Julie Thompson and registered nurse Linda Jablonski have been appointed following an application to the Attorney General’s Advisory Council to Support the Interagency Task Force on Newborns with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
“With high rates of affected moms and babies, the goal is to improve care,” Thompson said this week about the task force’s mission. “It’s a statewide effort focused on neonatal abstinence syndrome, which hasn’t had a direct focus.”
Essentially, neonatal abstinence syndrome is another word for opioid dependence, and happens to some babies born to mothers who are addicted or have been exposed to opioids during pregnancy. Jablonski noted that experts don’t yet know why only some babies are born with the syndrome.
According to a press release about the task force’s creation — established by an amendment by Sen. Jennifer Flanagan — neonatal abstinence syndrome “results when newborns are exposed in utero to opiates including heroin, oxycontin or opioid replacement medications like methadone.” The syndrome can have “severe detrimental effects.”
Newborns with the syndrome are weaned off opioids using a neonatal morphine medication, prescribed based on the baby’s weight and other factors. Medication is decreased over a period of about 16 to 17 days, “once they’re stable,” Jablonski explained.
Jablonski noted other, more holistic treatments such as encouraging mothers to breastfeed and dimming overhead lights are used.
According to the statement, the task force seeks to “develop a unified statewide plan to coordinate care and services and achieve data, quality, and outcome goals for newborns and young children impacted by exposure to substances.”
Thompson and Jablonski were accepted onto to the advisory council at least in part because of their work in healthcare and education efforts locally targeting the effects of pre-natal substance exposure.
“Around 2012 was when we kind of said, we really need to improve care because we’re seeing more cases,” Jablonski said.
Since then, the problem has gotten worse — the rate of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in Franklin County is now double the state average, which is more than three times the national average.
Last year, Jablonski said the hospital delivered about 500 babies. Of those, “we had 30 substance-exposed pregnancies,” she said. “12 of those babies actually had to be treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome.”
In response to the crisis, Baystate Franklin Medical Center formed the EMPOWER program and the Community Based Perinatal Support Model. Both were recognized by the attorney general for the programs. Also of note, the hospital has a volunteer Cuddler program to provide babies with personal care when the mothers aren’t around.
In addition to her role as assistant nurse manager at the hospital’s birthing center, Jablonski is co-chairwoman of Franklin County Perinatal Support Coalition, an interagency support network created to help identify expecting mothers who might be exposed to substances, and then get them the help they need.
Moving forward, Jablonski said she’d like to help implement a similar coalition and network at the state level.
“It’s our community-based model,” Jablonski said. “Only when you look at it through the lens of the entire community can you really solve the problem.”
“Family-centered and trauma-informed care are key components,” Thompson said.
Thompson and Jablonski will attend their first council meeting next Wednesday.
You can reach Andy Castillo
at: acastillo@recorder.com