National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker and Author, Dr. John Rosa Writes About the Effect Opioids Have on Infant Brains

opioid crisis

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker, looks into the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the birth of babies exposed to opioids along with the short and long-term effects on their brains.

ROCKVILLE, MD. July 25, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crisis expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “What Happens To An Infant’s Brain On Opioids.” Dr. Rosa turns his attention and that of his readers to the innocent children affected by the opioid epidemic.

As Dr. Rosa states in reference to the title his blog, “This is not a question that should have to be asked.” He adds, “However, it is one that has had to be asked and studied and answered since 1991 when opioid deaths began to rise.”

As Dr. Rosa points out, “According to specialists, babies deprived of opioids after birth tend to be fussier, have gastrointestinal issues and difficulties feeding.” He further states, “They also suggest that children who experienced NAS as infants may struggle with communication and literacy. The big concern though is that the effects of NAS may never disappear. There is concern that adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes may be long-term.”

Read the entire blog at https://drjohnrosa.com/what-happens-to-an-infants-brain-on-opioids/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Dr. Rosa is the Owner/manager of 14 health clinics in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas concentrating on musculoskeletal injuries of acute, subacute and chronic nature. He oversees the Integrative Medicine practice group which includes general medicine, Chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year.

Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating college, professional and Olympic athletes. Creator of 24/7 RnR (Relief and aiding Recovery) an FDA approved analgesic cream. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and clinic management.

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

  • White House Surrogate/Consultant
  • Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
  • State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
  • Corporate and professional organization consultant
  • Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

  • Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
  • Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
  • Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and
  • behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
  • Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the
  • Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

What Happens To An Infant’s Brain On Opioids

By Dr. John Rosa

opioid addiction

This is not a question that should have to be asked.

However, it is one that has had to be asked and studied and answered since 1991 when opioid deaths began to rise. The three following examples from the professional American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) are just a tiny sampling of what’s going on in our world as a result of being steeped in the opioid crisis for nearly 30 years.

“A speech-language pathologist is called in to help with a newborn who is struggling with feeding. It turns out the infant has neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). His feeding problem is just one of many symptoms he experiences as he withdraws from the opioids his mother used during pregnancy”.

“An audiologist receives a referral to follow up with an infant who did not pass her newborn hearing screening. She has a history of NAS as a result of the opioids and other drugs her mother is addicted to. Fortunately, the screening result was false-positive, and the child has no hearing loss.”

“A school-based SLP gets an IEP testing request for a student who is lagging behind his peers in his language and literacy skills. It turns out the student had NAS as an infant.” 

When Will the Madness End?

According to specialists, those referenced above and others, babies deprived of opioids after birth tend to be fussier, have gastrointestinal issues and difficulties feeding. They also suggest that children who experienced NAS as infants may struggle with communication and literacy. The big concern though is that the effects of NAS may never disappear. There is concern that adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes may be long-term.

We are seeing and living with the mainstream results of Generation O, as I wrote about in a previous article (see The Early Demise Of Innocence For Generation “O”). According to and article on the ASHA websites, “The number of infants with NAS increased by 300 percent between 2009 and 2013, with an incidence of six cases per 1,000 births in 2013, the last time these statistics were collected.

In other words, every 25 minutes in the U.S., an infant is diagnosed with NAS. More current state-level statistics suggest the problem is worsening. In Tennessee, incidence rose from 0.7 to 13.0 cases between 1999 and 2015.”

How and when are we going to stop this madness? We are merely perpetuating more pain and suffering. Let’s not forget the innocent children as we make efforts to find meaningful ways to curb this crisis.