NAS occurs in newborn babies who have been exposed to high levels of prescription drugs in the womb. When mothers take drugs during pregnancy, the substance passes through the placenta and into the baby. Unborn babies consume what their mothers consume. An addicted mother will lead to an addicted baby. Once the baby is outside of the womb and they are no longer being given the drug, they will experience the same withdrawal symptoms as any other drug addict. The problem is that their tiny and undeveloped bodies cannot cope with the shock of this chemical dependency, which leads to persistent irritation and pain in the baby and serious damage to their organs.