CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Am J Perinatol 2024; 41(16): 2198-2205
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786744
Original Article

Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Using Nonpharmacological Interventions

1   Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Reetta Stikes
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Jaki Sorrell
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Amanda Gater
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Adam T. Booth
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Amanda Gardner
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Colleen Greenwell
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Shannon Businger
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Ryan Low
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
,
Rachael Petrie
2   Center for Women and Infants, University of Louisville Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky
› Institutsangaben
Funding None.

Abstract

Objective Management of neonatal abstinence syndrome includes nonpharmacological interventions, but their effectiveness may not be verified before implemented. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a type of bassinet in the treatment of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Study Design This is a retrospective observational cohort study. Study setting involved a 24-bed open-bay Level III neonatal intensive care unit located in a metropolitan academic trauma facility. Participant inclusion criteria involved prenatally opioid-exposed infants ≥ 35 weeks with confirmed maternal opioid urine toxicology, required pharmacological treatment for withdrawal symptoms, and were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Three subsets of study participants were analyzed over three different time periods: Group 1 were infants admitted during 2019 without nonpharmacological intervention, Group 2 who were admitted from September 2021 to February 2022 and received nonpharmacological interventions, and Group 3 included those admitted from February 2022 to March 2023 who received the same interventions as Group 2 but were managed in bassinets being used in other local facilities for neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Results Group 3 had significant increases in length of stay compared with Group 1 (p = 0.006) and Group 2 (p = 0.013). Group 3 had a significantly greater length of treatment than Group 1 (p = 0.041) and a significantly higher total mg/kg morphine exposure than Group 1 (p = 0.006).

Conclusion Addition of the bassinet for nonpharmacological management of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome appeared to prolong length of stay, length of treatment, and increase total mg/kg morphine exposure. As a retrospective nonrandomized study, weakness of low certainty of causality is of concern but findings strongly warrant further research before devices such as the bassinet used in this study are adopted for routine neonatal abstinence syndrome care.

Key Points

  • Special bassinets are promoted to enhance sleep and decrease agitation.

  • Such bassinets may assist infants undergoing drug withdrawal.

  • Study of the bassinet failed to show benefit to this population.

Ethical Approval

Institutional review board (IRB) and organizational approval were obtained for this study, IRB # 21.0555.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 08. März 2024

Angenommen: 27. März 2024

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
10. Mai 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 
  • References

  • 1 Kesavan K. Neurodevelopmental implications of neonatal pain and morphine exposure. Pediatr Ann 2015; 44 (11) e260-e264
  • 2 Attarian S, Tran LC, Moore A, Stanton G, Meyer E, Moore RP. The neurodevelopmental impact of neonatal morphine administration. Brain Sci 2014; 4 (02) 321-334
  • 3 Gao H, Gao H, Li M, Zhang H, Wang D, Wang B. Morphine use in the neonatal period and later neuropsychological development: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol 2021; 63 (01) 22-28
  • 4 Harder HJ, Murphy AZ. Early life opioid exposure and potential long-term effects. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 10: 100156
  • 5 Boardman JP, Mactier H, Devlin LA. Opioids and the developing brain: time to rethink perinatal care for infants of opioid-dependent mothers. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2022; 107 (01) 98-104
  • 6 Spence K, Boedeker R, Harhausen M, Kaushal G, Buchanan P, Josephsen J. Avoiding NICU transfers for newborns with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS): a quality improvement initiative to manage NOWS on the mother-baby unit. J Addict Med 2020; 14 (05) 401-408
  • 7 Grossman MR, Berkwitt AK, Osborn RR. et al. An initiative to improve the quality of care of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Pediatrics 2017; 139 (06) e20163360
  • 8 Young LW, Ounpraseuth ST, Merhar SL. et al; ACT NOW Collaborative. Eat, sleep, console approach or usual care for neonatal opioid withdrawal. N Engl J Med 2023; 388 (25) 2326-2337
  • 9 Patrick SW, Barfield WD, Poindexter BB. COMMITTEE ON FETUS AND NEWBORN, COMMITTEE ON SUBSTANCE USE AND PREVENTION. Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. Pediatrics 2020; 146 (05) e2020029074
  • 10 Mangat AK, Schmölzer GM, Kraft WK. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for the neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2019; 24 (02) 133-141
  • 11 Velez ML, Jordan CJ, Jansson LM. Reconceptualizing non-pharmacologic approaches to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS): a theoretical and evidence-based approach. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 88: 107020
  • 12 Ryan G, Dooley J, Gerber Finn L, Kelly L. Nonpharmacological management of neonatal abstinence syndrome: a review of the literature. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2019; 32 (10) 1735-1740
  • 13 Oro AS, Dixon SD. Waterbed care of narcotic-exposed neonates. A useful adjunct to supportive care. Am J Dis Child 1988; 142 (02) 186-188
  • 14 Bloch-Salisbury E, Wilson JD, Rodriguez N. et al. Efficacy of a vibrating crib mattress to reduce pharmacologic treatment in opioid-exposed newborns: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatr 2023; 177 (07) 665-674
  • 15 Gellasch P, Johnson S, Walsh TA. The experiences and perceptions of neonatal clinicians when using a responsive bassinet. Adv Neonatal Care 2023; 23 (04) E88-E95
  • 16 Finnegan LP, Connaughton Jr JF, Kron RE, Emich JP. Neonatal abstinence syndrome: assessment and management. Addict Dis 1975; 2 (1-2): 141-158
  • 17 Harvey K. The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer, 2nd ed. New York: Bantam Books; 2015
  • 18 Ardiel EL, Rankin CH. The importance of touch in development. Paediatr Child Health 2010; 15 (03) 153-156
  • 19 Bautista DM, Lumpkin EA. Perspectives on: information and coding in mammalian sensory physiology: probing mammalian touch transduction. [published correction appears in J Gen Physiol. 2011;138(6):653] J Gen Physiol 2011; 138 (03) 291-301
  • 20 Maruyama K, Shimoju R, Ohkubo M, Maruyama H, Kurosawa M. Tactile skin stimulation increases dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in rats. J Physiol Sci 2012; 62 (03) 259-266
  • 21 Van Puyvelde M, Gorissen AS, Pattyn N, McGlone F. Does touch matter? The impact of stroking versus non-stroking maternal touch on cardio-respiratory processes in mothers and infants. Physiol Behav 2019; 207: 55-63
  • 22 Rana D, Garde K, Elabiad MT, Pourcyrous M. Whole body massage for newborns: a report on non-invasive methodology for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. J Neonatal Perinatal Med 2022; 15 (03) 559-565
  • 23 D'Apolito K. Comparison of a rocking bed and standard bed for decreasing withdrawal symptoms in drug-exposed infants. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 1999; 24 (03) 138-144