What Is Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

During the pregnancy, a lot of care for the mother and the fetus needs to be taken. The mother and the fetus should receive proper nutrition, care, and necessary medications. Lack of these could result in the ill-development of the fetus in the womb. The neonatal abstinence syndrome is a condition in which the newborn babies tend to withdraw from certain drugs (opioids most of the time) to which the baby has been exposed in the womb before birth. The neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms are observed among the babies around 1 to 3 days of birth.

The neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

The neonatal abstinence syndrome is also called the neonatal opioid withdrawal symptom or simply Neonatal withdrawal. It is generally caused by the utero exposure to drugs of dependence such as opioids. Most newborns who show neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms receive treatment in the hospital after birth. It takes a few days of neonatal abstinence syndrome treatment for a baby to heal. The babies who undergo the treatment are usually fussy and hard to soothe. Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding can usually help to calm down the baby.

However, in some cases, neonatal abstinence syndrome could lead to long-term health conditions that include problems with vision, hearing, learning, and behavior. Pregnant women who consume opioids should be taken care of well. The neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms should be looked for in a baby soon after birth. 

However, neonatal abstinence syndrome is not only caused by the consumption of opioids but also due to sleeping pills, antidepressants and barbiturates.

The following symptoms could be observed among newborns who suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The Symptoms of the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome 

Following are the signs and synonyms of the NAS. However, the signs could differ for each baby.

• The baby’s muscle tone with neonatal abstinence syndrome could be too right, and tremors and seizures could be observed among such babies
• If the baby is too fussy all the time and cries excessively at a high pitch, the baby may have the NAS
• The baby could gradually gain weight, and poor appetite and sucking could also be observed
• The baby with neonatal abstinence syndrome could yawn and face trouble sleeping
• Sneezing and a stuffy nose could also be a symptom of Neonatal withdrawal syndrome
• The baby’s skin could be blotchy, and sweating and fever could be sensed
• The baby could throw up a lot or show symptoms of diarrhea

Such are the neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms.

The below complications could be caused by a baby suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms.

• The baby’s weight at birth could be less than 5 pounds, considered a low birth weight
• The baby’s skin could have a yellow taint, and eyes could appear yellow, which indicates that the baby’s liver hasn’t fully developed
• The baby could suffer from seizures
• Sudden infant death syndrome is also a complication of neonatal abstinence syndrome
• This causes unexplained death of a newborn, especially during sleep

The Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Causes

The medications and the drugs such as selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and ethanol could cause neonatal abstinence syndrome. However, opioids are more likely to be the cause than other drugs. Cocaine exposure will not cause this syndrome. The most common form of opioids consumed by pregnant women is pain medications.

Let us look at how to treat babies who exhibit neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Treatment

Medications are given to treat babies who show neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms.

Once the withdrawal condition of the baby is under control, the baby is still given the medications in a small amount so the baby’s body can adjust to being off-medication.

Giving the baby intravenous fluids can help prevent dehydration in the babies. Babies who suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome could suffer from dehydration due to diarrhea or throwing up.

High-calorie baby formula is fed to the babies. This helps the babies grow properly as babies with this syndrome lose appetite and have trouble feeding.

Such are the ways to treat babies who show neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms.

Conclusion

A lot of medications and drugs are consumed by women during pregnancy. While most of them are beneficial, a few drugs, like opioids, could cause conditions like neonatal abstinence syndrome among newborns. The neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms include tight muscle tone of the baby, tremors, seizures, throwing up, diarrhea, etc. Medications are used to treat such babies, and high-calorie baby formula is used to help the growth and development of the baby. The issues like vision and hearing problems and behavior and learning problems could be seen among the babies with this syndrome.