CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Strategies to Prevent Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2017-03, Vol.66 (9), p.242-245
• Main Authors: Ko, Jean Y., Wolicki, Sara, Barfield, Wanda D., Patrick, Stephen W., Broussard, Cheryl S., Yonkers, Kimberly A., Naimon, Rebecca, Iskander, John
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S; Cost of Illness; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Grand Rounds; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants (Newborn); Legislation as Topic; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - epidemiology; Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - prevention & control; Opioid-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Opioid-Related Disorders - prevention & control; Opioids; Pain; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Public health; Public Health Practice; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6609a2

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a drug withdrawal syndrome that most commonly occurs in infants after in utero exposure to opioids, although other substances have also been associated with the syndrome (1). NAS usually appears within 48-72 hours of birth with a constellation of clinical signs, including central nervous system irritability (e.g., tremors), gastrointestinal dysfunction (e.g., feeding difficulties), and temperature instability (1) (Box 1). Opioid exposure during pregnancy might result from clinician-approved use of prescription opioids for pain relief; misuse or abuse of prescription opioids; illicit use (e.g., heroin); or medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid use disorder (2) (Box 2).