Program working to save babies born addicted to drugs

SALT LAKE CITY -- An unborn baby is affected by everything an expectant mother does. That can become a very big problem when a mother makes poor choices like smoking, drinking and doing drugs. The baby has no choice in the matter, yet suffers all of the consequences.

For the women in this situation, they say addiction is a powerful force -- powerful enough to make you do something you know can harm your unborn child.

One woman told KSL News she can feel her baby getting high when she does because it stops moving around. The key to helping these babies and their mothers is treatment.

We visited baby Natalie on her very first birthday. She was just three hours old and looked like any other newborn. But in three days, doctors would likely have to heavily medicate her while her body goes through painful withdrawals.

Natalie's mother is a drug addict.

Kristy admits to using heroin and meth while she was pregnant with Natalie. The Division of Child and Family Services took custody of her first child because of her drug use, but this time Kristy is doing things differently.

"She deserves to have a good life and a chance," Kristy said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Natalie is far from the only baby in Utah born to a drug addict. Every morning at 6:00, a line forms outside of Project Reality. Silhouettes of pregnant women file through the door to get their daily dose of methadone -- a drug that weans them off of opiates and stabilizes their systems.

"Methadone is very reliable for suppressing withdrawals," says Joel Millard, Project Reality's executive director. "You know if they're here the probability of their outside use is reduced dramatically."

It's difficult to quantify just how many pregnant drug addicts there are in Utah because so many of them don't seek treatment. But in 2010, around 320 out of about 6,000 female drug users were pregnant at the time they entered public treatment.

If a mother is suspected of drug use, the hospital tests the baby's blood. If it comes back positive for methadone, that's a good sign the mother is in treatment. As long as she remains in treatment, she can keep custody of the child.

If the test comes back positive for any drug the mother doesn't have a prescription for, DCFS likely takes custody of the child.

It's not illegal to give birth to what is known as a "dirty baby" -- a drug-dependent infant -- so no criminal charges are filed. But it's not jail time many of these women fear most; it's losing custody of their children.

One woman we spoke to is 14 weeks pregnant. She has taken methadone her entire pregnancy up to this point.

"It's been good for me. I feel a lot better, as opposed to not being on it," she said.

Getting them to take methadone is easy once they make it to a treatment center. It's getting them in the door that's tough -- that's Michelle Moyes' job.

"I don't see my moms as drug addicts," says Moyes, a substance abuse caseworker with the Salt Lake Valley Health Department. "I see my moms as moms, and I see this baby as a chance for them to get better, a chance for them to love something and for them to feel like they have something to work for."

Moyes is continually successful at bringing pregnant addicts into treatment. A woman named Karen is just one example.

"People think you can quit ‘cause you're pregnant, or it's the love for the baby, but it's not that easy," Karen said. "It overpowers you. The addiction is very strong. It's really strong."

Addiction and babies are something Karen knows a lot about. Her body has already carried and delivered seven babies.

Karen's last baby is 9 months old. She is now seven months pregnant with her eighth baby.

Karen is currently on methadone but admits to continuing to take opiates in lower doses. "There's no excuse for my using, or for any pregnant woman to use while she's carrying a baby, but it's hard," she said. "It's hard to quit when you're already addicted. It just controls you."

Methadone is an addictive drug, which means a baby whose mother is taking it will still be born drug dependent. But with methadone, the baby's only side effect will likely be withdrawals. With drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, there's no telling what could happen.

No one knows that better than Geneva Facemyer. She adopted four children born to a woman who used drugs and alcohol heavily while pregnant. Three of those children have severe developmental disabilities.

Charles, 24, is non-verbal, and his two younger sisters have limited communication skills. Facemyer loves them deeply but is angered by their mother's decision.

"Women and men have the right to do to their bodies as they choose, but what they don't understand, and what I would plead with them to understand, is the next generation that they're cheating out of their quality of life," Facemyer said.

There are tragedies, but there are also successes -- women like Jennifer Irwin. Thanks to treatment, she delivered a healthy baby boy and is now a responsible parent.

"Just keep in mind how important it all is," Irwin said, "and how deserving they are or the best we can give them."

Karen, the mother pregnant with her eighth baby, has placed four of her children up for adoption. The child she is pregnant with right now will also be placed with an adoptive family. She is considering sterilization.

Adoption is something a lot of these women consider.

E-mail: jstagg@ksl.com

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