By Barbara Tetreault
BERLIN — Last year, 13 babies born at Androscoggin Valley Hospital showed symptoms of drug withdrawal or what is formally known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. That figure represents almost 14 percent of the 93 babies born at the hospital in 2016.
kAmq6=:6G:?8 E92E E@@ >2?J 323:6D 2C6 36:?8 3@C? :?E@ 72>:=:6D H96C6 5CF8 23FD6 :D AC6D6?E[ r@@D r@F?EJ u2>:=J w62=E9 $6CG:46D 2?5 p?5C@D4@88:? '2==6J w@DA:E2= 2C6 DE2CE:?8 2 >65:42E:@? 2DD:DE65 EC62E>6?E AC@8C2> 7@C A6@A=6 DECF88=:?8 H:E9 255:4E:@?]k^Am
kAm~FE=:?:?8 E96 ?6H AC@8C2> E@ E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:= =2DE H66<[ r@@D r@F?EJ u2>:=J w62=E9 $6CG:46D rt~ z6? v@C5@? 42==65 ?6@?2E2= 23DE:?6?46 DJ?5C@>6 2 “E6CC:3=6 EC2865J]” q23:6D 6IA@D65 E@ 5CF8D :? E96 H@>3 42? D9@H DJ>AE@>D @7 H:E95C2H2= DF49 2D EC6>@CD[ :CC:E23:=:EJ[ D=66A AC@3=6>D[ D6:KFC6D[ E:89E >FD4=6 E@?6[ DH62E:?8[ 5:2CC962 2?5 76G6C] !C6>2EFC6 3:CE9[ 3:CE9 56764ED 2?5 =@H 3:CE9 H6:89E 2C6 2=D@ A@DD:3:=:E:6D]k^Am
kAmv@C5@? D2:5 E96 EH@ @C82?:K2E:@?D 76=E E96J 925 E@ 72D9:@? 2 C6DA@?D6 2?5 92G6 366? H@C<:?8 E@ 56G6=@A E96 >65:42E:@? 2DD:DE65 EC62E>6?E AC@8C2> D:?46 E9:D DF>>6C] %96 AC@8C2> H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 ?6IE >@?E9]k^Am
kAm%96 >65:42E:@? 2DD:DE65 EC62E>6?E AC@8C2> 92D 7@FC 4@>A@?6?EDi DF3DE2?46 23FD6 4@F?D6=:?8[ >6?E2= 962=E9 EC62E>6?E[ D@4:2= H@C< DFAA@CE[ 2?5 E96 FD6 @7 >65:42E:@?D =:<6 ':EC:@= 2?5 $F3@I@?6 E@ 96=A 2==6G:2E6 A9JD:42= H:E95C2H2= DJ>AE@>D]k^Am
kAm!2CE:4:A2?ED >FDE D:8? 2 EC62E>6?E 28C66>6?E E92E C6BF:C6D E96> E@ 2EE6?5 C68F=2C=J D4965F=65 >65:42= 2AA@:?E>6?ED[ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? DF3DE2?46 23FD6 4@F?D6=:?8[ 2?5 28C66 E@ F?D4965F=65 FC:?6 E6DED 2?5 A:== 4@F?ED] !2CE:4:A2?ED 7@F?5 5:G6CE:?8 @C D6==:?8 E96:C >65:42E:@? H:== 36 5:D492C865 7C@> E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 C6A@CE65 E@ E96 A@=:46]k^Am
kAmv@C5@? D2:5 E96 AC@8C2> H:== DE2CE 3J D6CG:?8 AC68?2?E H@>6?[ ?6H >@E96CD 2?5 E96:C A2CE?6CD] w6 D2:5 :E H:== DE2CE D>2== — D6CG:?8 `_ E@ ac A6@A=6 E96 7:CDE J62C H:E9 9@A6D @7 8C25F2==J 6IA2?5:?8 E@ @776C E96 AC@8C2> E@ 6I:DE:?8 A2E:6?ED @7 E96 EH@ @C82?:K2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|2J@C !2F= vC6?:6C D2:5 E96 AC@8C2> :D ?66565[ 3FE D2:5 96 5:5 ?@E H2?E :E E@ 364@>6 2 4@FCE 5:G6CD:@? AC@8C2>] w6 D2:5 :E D9@F=5 36 FD65 E@ 96=A A6@A=6 H9@ C62==J H2?E E@ 86E 4=62? 2?5 ?@E 7@C A6@A=6 ECJ:?8 E@ 5@586 2 =682= :DDF6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 =:>:E65 D=@ED[ v@C5@? D2:5 A6@A=6 H:== 92G6 E@ 36 >@E:G2E65 E@ 36 D6=64E65] w6 D2:5 E96 EH@ @C82?:K2E:@?D 5:D4FDD65 E96 AC@8C2> H:E9 q6C=:? A@=:46]k^Am
kAm!@=:46 r9:67 !6E6C |@C6?4J D2:5 96 92D D66? A6@A=6 @? $F3@I@?6 7@C `_ J62CD H:E9@FE 2 A=2?] w6 D2:5 E96 >65:42E:@? 4@>A@?6?E 92D E@ 36 DEC:4E=J >@?:E@C65 2?5 8F:565 3642FD6 E96 >65:42E:@?D 42? 36 FD65 E@ 86E 9:89] %96 A@=:46 49:67 D2:5 D@>6 FD6CD D:>A=J EC2G6= 7C@> 4=:?:4 E@ 4=:?:4 E@ 86E >65:42E:@?] qFE 96 2=D@ 28C665 @? E96 ?665 7@C E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAmvC6?:6C D2:5 :E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ 4C62E6 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E H96C6 <:5D 2C6 ?@E 3@C? 255:4E65] w6 D2:5 3C62<:?8 E96 4J4=6 — 6G6? @?6 <:5 2E 2 E:>6 — :D H@CE9 E96 677@CE] r@F?4:=@CD #@=2?5 %9636C86 2?5 |:<6 v6?E:=: 28C665 E92E E96 AC@8C2> :D H@CE9 :>A=6>6?E:?8]k^Am
kAmv@C5@? D2:5 7F?5:?8 7@C E96 AC@8C2> 4@>6D 7C@> 2 4@>A=:42E65 >:I :?4=F5:?8 4@>>6C4:2= 2?5 AF3=:4 :?DFC2?46 2?5 7656C2= 8C2?E 7F?5D]k^Am
kAm“(6 2== 92G6 2 G6DE65 :?E6C6DE :? 96=A:?8 <:5D 86E @77 E@ 2 8@@5 DE2CE[” v@C5@? D2:5 :? 2 7@==@H\FA :?E6CG:6H]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.