Current estimates of the prevalence of opioid withdrawal in newborns from the 2012 Better Outcomes Registry and Network Ontario reveal that more than 4 births per 1000 display recognizable symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). With a growing consensus surrounding aspects of newborn opioid withdrawal care, clinicians might agree that all infants exposed to maternal opioids require supp...

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes with Buprenorphine Treatment By Arthur Falek, Ph.D. A paper in the June issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence (63:97-103, 2001) Rolley E. Johnson at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and thirteen co-authors reported an apparent effective treatment for opioid dependent, pregnant women that seems to safeguard the health of both the mother and her child. It is estimate...

Ontario's clinical practice guidelines for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) provide evidence-informed recommendations that address the needs of substance using pregnant women and newborns at risk of NAS. NAS is a complex and multifaceted issue that is escalating along with rapidly rising opioid use in Ontario. Reducing the incidence and impact of NAS requires immediate action in order to impr...

Te tr a Im ag es /A la m y Abstract Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) occurs in infants exposed to opiates or illicit drugs during pregnancy. It can be severe and cause long hospital stays after birth and with symptoms up to 6 months after birth. Pharmacologic interventions are commonly used as treatment for NAS; however, their safety and effi cacy are not fully recognized. Pharmacologic treat...

In this issue of Pediatrics, Bateman et al 1 have elegantly convinced readers that infants of mothers prescribed β-blockers in late pregnancy, in a large American database, have a significantly elevated risk (4.3%) of neonatal hypoglycemia, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.68. This finding is important because β-blockers are used commonly to treat hypertensive orders in pregnancy, and in Batema...