The opioid epidemic has reached into all aspects of life in the United States. The epidemic has crossed racial, economic, social, and generational barriers. This epidemic also impacts infants. Fetal exposure to opioids can produce a withdrawal effect in newborns, referred to as Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). NOWS treatment lacks a standard approach, with prominent variation across the United States. Furthermore, many treatment strategies for NOWS are not evidence-based but reflect anecdotal experience. Variable approaches to NOWS treatment contribute to more extended hospital stays and greater postnatal opioid exposure. The most prolonged period of NOWS treatment occurs during the weaning phase. This paper describes the first prospective randomized control trial to address systematized weaning of opioids for infants with NOWS.
Keywords: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome; Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome; Opioids; Substance Use Disorder.