First Lady Melania Trump visits hospital
Reuters

Melania Trump's anti-addiction advocacies have been highlighted after her travel to Boston where the FLOTUS puts emphasis on the importance of treatment for babies who are suffering from Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).

The Boston Medical Center boasts of a treatment program for NAS and the medical personnel toured her to let her know of their other facilities. NAS happens when a baby shows withdrawal symptoms after being exposed to drugs at an early age or while in their mother's womb.

The first lady is a known supporter of drug addiction recovery programs. Earlier this year, Melania Trump lauded the youth for choosing to fight the problem and become agents of change, AP News reported. Melania's efforts is focused on her nationwide campaign called "Be Best" which helps out babies or children who are affected by opioid use.

Some of NAS symptoms are tremors, seizures, fevers, diarrhea, and difficulty in breathing, among others. As a result, more volunteers are needed to provide comfort to infants in times of distress. This is addressed by the CALM (Cuddling Assists in Lowering Maternal and Infant Stress) program, which Boston Medical Center also offers. The volunteers can provide comfort in lieu of parents.

In her past speeches, Melania Trump often relayed that the problem is real and it could happen to anyone. USA Today said. She also cited a treatment center called "Lily's Place" in West Virginia which also caters to infants addicted to drugs. "By placing a priority on the whole family, Lily's Place is giving infants the best opportunity to thrive because their parents are being given the support and tools they need to succeed," Melania added.

In the U.S., there is a growing concern about NAS. In a study released by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, there is a 433 percent increase of NAS among hospital births from 2004 to 2014. This means that five years ago, a baby showing NAS symptoms was born every 15 minutes in the U.S.

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia have laws which require hospitals to report NAS incidents to state hospitals to state health departments.

On the other hand, President Donald Trump has reiterated his administration's commitment to fight opioid crisis. Moreover, he has pledged $1.8 billion, which will be distributed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research and different States in territories, to further enhance their campaign against the national concern.

President Trump believes cutting the supply can help them win. Per White House, it was revealed that last year, almost 5,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized. The President also urged China to do its own housekeeping in curbing the proliferation of synthetic drugs coming from the country.

Over prescription is also one of the reasons for the rise of opioid addiction in the nation. The current administration is using information dissemination in hopes of bringing the numbers of those suffering from addiction down. Moreover, the Department of Veterans Affairs' Opioid Safety Initiative stated that in the first two years of President Trump, the number of veterans dependent on opioid has gone down by more than 130,000.