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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-22 Daily Xml
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DRUG ADDICTED BABIES

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:20): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking a question of the minister representing the Minister for Health regarding babies born with drug addictions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Family First welcomes the recent announcement in the budget of increased funding for child protection of some $69.1 million over the next four years, but there is great need, and that money will probably scarcely touch the sides. One aspect of child protection I would particularly like to highlight is the plight of babies born to drug or alcohol-addicted mothers at the Women's and Children's Hospital, as I have personally heard a number of stories where this has unfortunately been the case and, indeed, it is true of other hospitals around the state.

Some time ago, Associate Professor Ross Haslam, in his position of Head of Neonatal Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital, commented in the media that approximately 3.5 per cent of the mothers who deliver at the hospital have drug or alcohol problems. Babies suffering from drug withdrawal have seizures, they do not sleep and they continually vomit and so forth—in short, a very miserable existence. They often have to be stepped down on morphine over several weeks in order to rid them of such awful suffering. Foetal alcohol symptoms are often permanent and can include severe brain damage in some cases. My questions, quite simply, are:

1. What is the minister's plan to tackle this problem, as I am informed that there is really nothing being done about this, other than the barest minimum?

2. What funding would the minister allocate, either from the $69 million or in addition to the $69 million, to address this problem?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:22): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. I will refer them to the Minister for Health in another place and bring back a response.

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