Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - Case Report

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) refers to the constellation of signs and symptoms exhibited by a newborn of drug-abusing mother. NAS is multisystemic disorder, most frequently involving central nervous and gastrointestinal systems with irritability, high-pitched cry, hyperactive reflexes, increased muscle tone, tremors, generalized convulsions, feeding and sleeping disorders, tachycardia, tachypnea, apnea, termolability and sweating, frequent hiccups, yawning and sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Intrauterine narcotic disposition can give some other adverse effects beside NAS: fetal distress, premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly, increased incidence of congenital anomalies (cardiac and genitourinary anomalies, cleft palate, biliar atresia). Significantly increased risks of sudden infant’s death syndrome (SIDS), abnormalities in neurocognitive and behavioral development and deficiency in motor functions have also been noticed after the long-term surveys of these children. This paper is a case report of a newborn with developed clinical signs of NAS, but it also discusses diagnostics and management of such cases Acta Medica Medianae 2008;47(1):55-59.