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Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) visited Miami Valley Hospital last week to thank volunteers cuddling with infants going through opiate withdrawal.
“Since I was made aware of this aspect of the opioid crisis, I have introduced the CRIB Act to help cover the cost of care of infants going through withdrawal, specifically ones suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS),” said Congressman Turner. “Unfortunately, some of the babies in Miami Valley Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are suffering with this syndrome due to the use of addictive substances by expecting mothers. I am extremely thankful to the volunteers working every day to ease the discomfort of the most vulnerable victims of this epidemic. I will continue to push for legislation in Congress to end this opioid crisis.”
In an effort to provide comfort to these infants, the NICU at Miami Valley Hospital recently launched a volunteer Infant Cuddler Program. “Activities of social interaction support the neurological development and physiologic stability of NAS babies,” said Amy Clayton, RNC-NIC, BSN, clinical nurse educator for Miami Valley Hospital’s NICU. “Creating a compassionate, comforting, safe environment for the infants is the goal.”
Congressman Turner has been fighting the opioid epidemic in Dayton since 2013:
- December 18, 2013: Toured Soin Medical Center, where issue of Heroin-Exposed Newborns was raised.
- March 10, 2014: Met with area hospitals to discuss the growing issue of Heroin-Exposed Newborns.
- May 15, 2014: Visited Dayton Children’s Hospital NICU to discuss infant heroin exposure and the withdrawal and recovery process.
- June 30, 2014: Held a Community Forum on the Effects of the Heroin Epidemic on Newborns.
- August 27, 2014: Visited the Women’s Recovery Center.
- May 2015: Held Community Summit on Heroin-Exposed Infants.
- August 21, 2015: Toured Greene County Jail and Green Leaf Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program; met with criminal justice system administrators and substance abuse and mental health leadership.
- November 18, 2015: Met with ONDCP Director Michael Botticelli and introduced the TREAT Act with Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-3).
- May 12, 2016: The House passed an amendment he cosponsored to increase access to treatment for pregnant women struggling with substance abuse.
- May 25, 2016: Introduced CRIB Act to help expand access to specialized treatment and recovery options for infants suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a withdrawal condition in newborns often caused by use of opioids and other addictive substances in pregnant women.
- August 29, 2016: Hosted a Heroin Epidemic Response Roundtable with Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05).
- October 28, 2016: Hosted a roundtable discussion on the opioid and heroin epidemic in Dayton with Senator Rob Portman (OH).
- February 2, 2017: Joined the bipartisan Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus.
- February 7, 2017: Reintroduced the TREAT Act.
- May 17, 2017: Reintroduced CRIB Act.
- July 31, 2017: President’s Commission to Combat Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis supported the concept behind Congressman Turner’s TREAT Act.
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