Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Did you know that NOWS is the new NAS? Learn more about the new AAP Clinical Report on Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome with lead author Dr. Stephen Patrick. Dr. Patrick is the Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy, and an attending neonatologist at Monroe Carol Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. In this episode, he teaches us about the approach to treating withdrawal in infants, the importance of keeping moms and babies together, and the need for destigmatizing addiction in healthcare. 

• 7:48 Case from Kashlak Children’s
• 8:38 Definition of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome 
• 9:48 Clinical Presentation of NOWS
• 11:30 Scoring Systems
• 14:34 Importance of diagnosing NOWS
• 15:16 Opioid Crisis and Epidemiology
• 16:35 Risk Factors for developing NOWS
• 19:16 The role of structural racism and social determinants of health
• 21:05 Stigma of addiction
• 23:10 Building a therapeutic relationship
• 25:32 Breastfeeding
• 26:40 Toxicology testing
• 29:16 Structural racism 
• 30:14 Non-pharmacologic management
• 31:58 Pharmacologic Management
• 35:16 Clinical course 
• 37:40 Treatment and taper plan
• 40:20 Discharge planning
• 43:20 Outpatient Follow up
• 44:26 AAP Clinical Report Changes
• 46:46 Advocacy and Policy
• 47:14 Buprenorphine 
• 50:18 Outro