By Alesha Capone
Western Health’s midwifery group practise manager Patrice Hickey said “about 50 to 60 women a year on average” went through the hospital’s Maternity Outreach and Support Service Clinic (MOSS), which provides assistance to females with a drugs or alcohol addiction.
Ms Hickey said, as a result, the number of babies born with a significant drug addiction differed slightly each year, but added the average was around 30.
“They’re not always born addicted, we observe them closely after birth and run tests,” she said.
MOSS patients come from across the West, including Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham.
“Nearly all women, 99.99 per cent, want what’s best for their babies. They’re happy to self-declare they’re addicted, as they still want the most care possible for their babies,” Ms Hickey said.
“Some of these women are in prison, some are just a normal cross-section of society.”
Ms Hickey said potential mothers who sought help from the program were often addicted to alcohol, prescription medicine or “heroin, all sorts of other drugs and cocaine”.
“They can have quite a few other complications, some have mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, which may be as a result of drug abuse or what they had prior to the drug abuse,” she said.
Under the MOSS program, which is individualised for each women, the patients can contact midwives “24/7” if they need help.
Ms Hickey said most of the women had complicated histories and could also be homeless “in transit or thrown out of the family home”.
A team of medical professionals work with the women and other groups and authorities, such as the Department of Human Services, during and after their pregnancy.
“The women are usually good as long as they know the midwives respect them,” Ms Hickey said.
“We have a fabulous team of doctors, midwives, social workers and neo-natal nurses.”
“We do have good outcomes. We do our best and try to get the best outcome for the mother and their baby.” See www.connectingcare.com for more information.
