A recent study by PSC post-doc affiliate Stephen Patrick and colleagues found the number of U.S. babies born with signs of opiate drug withdrawal has tripled in a decade because of a surge in pregnant women’s use of legal and illegal narcotics. This has caused a spike in hospital treatment for these infants, the costs for which are disproportionately covered by Medicaid. See the related [JAMA article.](http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2012/04/25/jama.2012.3951.full)

More about Patrick calls increase in newborns undergoing drug withdrawal a public health epidemic >