Opioid abuse reverberates across families, ensnaring even the babies. Now, a state task force has come up with 60 recommendations to help mothers and newborns caught up in the still-widening crisis.

It’s a tall order. More than 1,300 babies in Massachusetts were born with heroin or other opioids in their system in 2013. The rate of such births increased more than fivefold from 2004 to 2013. Many of these children experience withdrawal symptoms when they are born, requiring an average of 19 days in a hospital at a cost of $30,000.

The task force, created by the Legislature, examined the gaps in the system of care for mothers and newborns, and suggested ways to fill those gaps. It called for better coordination of care for addicted pregnant women and their babies before and after birth, and consistent standards on how best to help them.

A joint effort of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Attorney General, the task force is cochaired by Marylou Sudders, secretary of Health and Human Services, and Judge Gail Garinger, director of the attorney general’s Child and Youth Protection Unit.

Digesting survey results from 75 organizations, including hospitals, addiction-treatment programs, and community groups, the task force found inconsistent practices, lack of education among providers and patients, and a need for training, treatment, and support.

Recommendations include educating providers on how to tell when a pregnant woman is using drugs and how to respond, developing a “plan of safe care’’ for babies affected by drug abuse, and providing specialized support services for families. The task force called for increasing access to treatment and developing a public awareness campaign to fight stigma. It also emphasized the need for better data collection and a system to track the problem.

“The expanded data collection and analytic tools will allow us to more narrowly identify those cities and towns most impacted by this epidemic,’’ Sudders said in a statement.

The state will get help carrying out the recommendations through its participation in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s 2017 Policy Academy. Massachusetts officials are among 20 teams selected to obtain technical assistance and access to national experts focused on improving the lives of pregnant and postpartum addicts and their families.

“The opioid crisis is devastating to our communities, and it is taking an immense toll on families across the state, and our office is committed to combating this epidemic,’’ Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement.

Felice J. Freyer can be reached at felice.freyer@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @felicejfreyer.