ABC News report highlights WVU Medicine's care for drug-exposed babies

Drug exposed babies are an insidious after-effect of the opioid epidemic that has swept West Virginia.

A recent ABC news story, "Cuddle volunteers help to soothe West Virginia's drug-exposed babies," spotlighted the care WVU Medicine gives to these newborns.

The story shows Pat Holgorsen, one of dozens of cuddle volunteers at WVU Medicine.

Also, neonatologist Mark “Cody” Smith, MD, is interviewed.

Of all the babies born at WVU Medicine, about 10.5 to 11 percent were exposed to drugs in the womb, and of those about 4.3 percent went through active withdrawal after birth, according to Dr. Smith.