From NPR,
“In the United States, a baby is born dependent on opiates every 30 minutes. In Tennessee, the rate is three times the national average.
The drug withdrawal in newborns is called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, which can occur when women take opiates during their pregnancies.
In the spring of 2014, Tennessee passed a controversial law that would allow the mothers of NAS babies to be charged with a crime the state calls “fetal assault.” Alabama and Wisconsin have prosecuted new mothers under similar laws, and now other states are also considering legislation.”