Wisconsin Sees Increase in Babies Born Addicted to Opiates

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) — The number of babies born addicted to heroin and other opiates is growing at an alarming rate in Wisconsin.

USA Today Network-Wisconsin reports that over 500 addicted infants are born a year, a number that has more than doubled since 2009. Those births have been occurring throughout Wisconsin, including in relatively small, rural counties.

Data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Department of Children and Families shows that the number of babies born with opiate addiction in Wisconsin increased by 125 percent between 2009 and 2014. The state's worst year was 2013, when 540 addicted babies were admitted to hospitals.

Every county in Wisconsin has reported growing numbers of heroin-related arrests since 2008.