PORTLAND, Ore. — As first reported by KGW, a homeless woman addicted to fentanyl went into labor in her tent near a fire station two weeks ago. The mother is back on the streets, while the baby remains in the hospital; the hospital would not provide KGW with an update on the baby’s condition.
It’s another tragic side of Portland’s fentanyl crisis that medical professionals say is on the rise.
"The use of fentanyl has increased quite a bit in pregnancy just in the last few years," said Dr. Dmitry Dukhovny a pediatrics professor and medical director of OHSU’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). "Some of the things that we’re seeing is the [fentanyl] withdrawal starting out early. It starts almost right away in the first 12 to 24 hours of life versus some of the other opiates."
Doctors are still learning how to treat a newborn withdrawing from fentanyl.
"Specifically for fentanyl — and again, we as a community don’t quite understand why yet — but it’s the poor feeding and the early withdrawal that often requires the medications early on to manage them … We know it’s a huge problem, and it’s a huge problem for that person not getting the necessary care during their pregnancy," Dmitry said.
A recording of the 911 dispatch call on the night of the birth reveals the mother had no prenatal care and had used fentanyl an hour before first responders arrived at her tent.
First responders with Portland Fire and Rescue were called to help the homeless woman six times in the past two weeks. They offered her treatment and housing but told KGW she declined their offer for those services.
A team of Multnomah County outreach workers continues to try and help her.
"I think it highlights the complexity of what we’re dealing with in our community," said John Karp-Evans, who works at the county’s Behavioral Health Resource Center. "There’s tons of folks in our community that need a higher level of support, but the way our system is set up and the way that it functions right now is that it’s individual’s choice."
A spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Human Services told KGW they could not comment on specific cases but said Oregon law prohibits the state from intervening in child abuse cases before a baby is born. Under that law and administrative rules, a child is defined as an unmarried person who is under the age of 18 or a child in care or receiving services.
Only after the child is born and if it’s reported to the state, can they intervene. First responders are required to report such cases where the mother’s behavior or other circumstances are believed to endanger the child.