According to data from the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System, heroin is the most common substance found in pregnant women who struggle with Substance Use Disorder. The New Jersey Department of Health reports that the incidence of newborns diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has nearly doubled in the past decade. NAS is a group of conditions that occur when a baby withdraws from drugs they has been exposed to in the womb.
The drug overdose epidemic has a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities and an estimated annual cost of $740 billion nationally for law enforcement, health care, and lost productivity for employers. Through partnerships and grants, the Capital Health Institute for Urban Care offers programs and services to help support residents of Trenton and Mercer County who are affected by substance use disorder.
For My Baby and Me
In response to the lack of resources for pregnant women experiencing substance use disorder and homelessness in Mercer County, Capital Health partnered with long-established partners — Trenton Health Team, Rescue Mission of Trenton, HomeFront, Henry J. Austin Health Center and Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton to design a specialized, integrated opioid treatment program that promotes long-term recovery as well as ongoing medical care and support for pregnant women and their children.