Prince George, B.C., physicians are alarmed about the growing number of babies born with drug addictions.

Dr. Marie Hay, the vice-president of medical staff at Prince George Regional Hospital, told CBC the number of drug-damaged newborns in the region is increasing rapidly and now accounts for five per cent of local births.

Dr. Marie Hay says at least five per cent of newborns in the Prince George area are affected by drugs.
(Betsy Trumpener/CBC)

"They are sweating and crying. They can't breathe. They have fast heart rates, vomiting and diarrhea. We have to actually give them morphine to make their life bearable," said Hay earlier this week.

Drug-addicted newborns suffer everything from drug withdrawal to kidney failure, strokes and heart attacks.

"We need to start doing the same for drug addicted-affected babies, particularly for cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth and heroin," said Hay.

The hospital tracked 43 drug-addicted babies that were born in the region in 2007, representing five per cent of births, but Hay suspects the real number may be higher, because doctors can't test newborns for drugs unless the parents give consent.

In comparison, less than one per cent of newborns suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.

"Eighteen years ago when I came here, I really understood there was an epidemic of fetal alcohol, and it's taken about 18 years to awaken the sleeping giant of bureaucracy to deal with this issue," said Hay.

The provincial government recently allocated $10 million to deal with fetal alcohol syndrome, but Hays said there are few programs available to help pregnant and new mothers get off drugs.