Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Opioid use and abuse have skyrocketed in the United States over the last decade. As a result, we have seen a substantial increase in neonates who are exposed to opioids in-utero. Anywhere from 55% to 94% of infants exposed to opioids will experience withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and will require management of their symptoms in the hospital. It is important to know what to look for in an infant who is experiencing NAS, how to determine if treatment is needed and what type of treatment is indicated, and how to prepare the infant for discharge once they are stable. Unfortunately, there are no standardized care plans in place for the management of this population. Although assessment tools such as the Finnegan scoring systems are available, they are not validated and can be cumbersome and difficult to administer. Other methods of assessment are being studied and may prove to be more useful in the clinical setting of neonatal withdrawal. Neither nonpharmacologic nor pharmacologic interventions are standardized, with individual institutions determining their plan of care. Development of more standardized care could significantly improve the management of these patients. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(1):e3-e7.].