The number of children born in Massachusetts with opiates traces in their systems is over triple the rate nationwide. It is even a lot higher than the tallied number by state authorities.

The New England area has been known for its heroin or opioid issue among its residents but the problem is becoming even bigger for the next generation. Massachusetts now has an alarming number of children born with narcotics in their systems.

Over 1,300 babies from Massachusetts or around 17.5 out of every 1,000 hospital births were found to have opiates in their systems in 2013. This number is triple the rate nationwide, which is five per 1,000 births. The Massachusetts tally is significantly smaller, with only 128 babies born with drugs in their systems in 2013. Because of this, the state's way of counting was questioned.

The state tally was based on reported cases from the Department of Children and Families. The federal government got its figures from 42 Massachusetts hospital reports. Inconsistent figures lead to a problem that cannot be addressed properly, but Massachusetts hospitals are making efforts to determine why drug-exposed babies are becoming prevalent.

When the state was questioned why it does not analyze the hospital statistics it submits to the federal government every year, the Massachusetts agency responsible for collecting data said it doesn't have the manpower to look into thousands of codes in its hospital procedure database.

The high opiate abuse rates in New England are caused by the number of drug dealers in urban areas and over-prescription by doctors. It could also be the lack of treatment programs and beds available to detox programs. Suppliers also increased low-cost heroin at the time when oxycodone abuse lessened.

Gov. Deval Patrick called for an increase of funding for narcotics units in the state's police departments; the availability of a heroin overdose reversal drug called naloxone; and more effective and larger budget for treatment programs and facilities for heroin and opioid addicts.

The new figures might put more pressure on state departments and politicians to allocate increased budgets for narcotics units. However, authorities are focused on treating babies who suffer from opiate withdrawal first