DRUG-DEPENDENT newborns had to be given withdrawal treatment around 10 times at the Wye Valley Trust in 2019-20.

Morphine and methadone were among substances given to babies to wean them from drugs used in pregnancy by their mothers.

NHS figures for the Wye Valley NHS Trust show the number of recorded medical interventions linked to what is called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) rose from none in 2018-19 to 10 in 2019-20.

Where there are fewer than eight cases an exact number is not given to preserve anonymity while other figures are rounded to the nearest five.

The syndrome results from unborn babies being exposed to addictive, often opiate-based drugs like heroin, codeine or benzodiazepines like diazepam.

Drug-dependent infants can soon develop severe withdrawal symptoms, signs of which include a continuous high-pitched cry, feeding problems, profuse vomiting, tremors, face scratching and convulsions.

Treatment involves weaning the baby from the drug on which it is dependent, with morphine often used when mothers have been taking opioids, but the true scale of the issue is likely to be greater than figures suggest, as many infants born with drug dependency will not require medication.

Symptoms associated with NAS do not only occur with the use of illicit substances but can also be due to the consumption of prescription drugs.

In some cases, babies born with NAS will be taken into care.