For the second year in a row, life expectancy in the U.S. has dropped, and the CDC is attributing the cause to opioid abuse. Rare Media is about to launch an extensive series about the opioid crisis' smallest victims – babies born to dependent mothers who are themselves, addicted. Gayle Putrich, Rare's Heartland Editor, tells how communities in Ohio and West Virginia are trying to help. Ohio and West Virginia are at the center of the nation's opioid epidemic. Putrich tells us about Huntington West Virginia, where one in five babies born at Cabel hospital there has been exposed to drugs in the womb. This condition is called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. With so few resources dedicated to helping these children and families, clinics such as Brigid's Path in Ohio and Lily's Place in West Virginia are helping through grants and donations.

Share:
More In Culture
How to Pick the Perfect Spring Wine
To celebrate the start of spring, Matt Crafton, lead winemaker at Chateau Montelena in northern California, joins Cheddar News to showcase some warm-weather wines and the best meals to pair them with.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Gender-Affirming Care Ban for Kids
Oklahoma on Monday became the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors as Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony for health care workers to provide children with treatments that can include puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.
Grab Your Fancy Duds for Met Gala Mania With Karl Lagerfeld
It's the first Monday in May: Welcome to Met Gala mania. With a livestream available when the evening gets underway, the world's most fashionable fundraiser takes on one of the world's most prolific — and controversial — designers, the late Karl Lagerfeld, as the starry party's theme.
Load More