Media Report
May 1, 2012Dr. Carl Christensen quoted in Detroit Free Press story examining newborns addicted to painkillers
http://www.freep.com/article/20120430/FEATURES08/120430066/opiate-addicted-babies-University-Michigan-report?odyssey=nav%7Chead
An increased reliance on prescription painkillers and the resulting addiction has now shown up in the most vulnerable patients — America’s newborns, according to a report released today. Addicted babies — many suffering from respiratory problems, low-birth weight and seizures — have nearly tripled in less than a decade. Meanwhile, the number of mothers using opiates has increased five-fold, according to the same study. Dr. Carl Christensen, who runs the Eleanor Hutzel Recovery Center, said he sees it all the time: Doctors who too easily prescribe painkillers, and patients who demand them. The clinic treats more than 100 addicted moms-to-be a year, said Christensen, who is also an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University.
An increased reliance on prescription painkillers and the resulting addiction has now shown up in the most vulnerable patients — America’s newborns, according to a report released today. Addicted babies — many suffering from respiratory problems, low-birth weight and seizures — have nearly tripled in less than a decade. Meanwhile, the number of mothers using opiates has increased five-fold, according to the same study. Dr. Carl Christensen, who runs the Eleanor Hutzel Recovery Center, said he sees it all the time: Doctors who too easily prescribe painkillers, and patients who demand them. The clinic treats more than 100 addicted moms-to-be a year, said Christensen, who is also an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University.
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