Infants with NOWS have been treated with custom treatment plans, leading to a quicker recovery.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported an advanced treatment for infants experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) after a clinical trial. Infants exposed to opioids in the womb often experience withdrawal after birth. To treat the condition, doctors generally use a scheduled approach, with a timeline for dosages of opioid medication that is lowered over time until the infant can be released from the hospital’s care. The NIH trial utilized a symptom-based approach, which monitored each infant’s signs of withdrawal as a way to customize treatment.
“The opioid epidemic is still a huge problem, but this is a simple and powerful way we can get these babies ready to go home faster. This is best for their family and for their own development,” said study co-author Augusto Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D., a program officer at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
The NIH announced, “Since the trial, several hospitals involved in the study have adopted the symptom-based strategy — and the authors believe their results may inform broader adoption.“
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Director Bhattacharya as he manages the National Institutes of Health and oversees its funding of research.
- For NIH researchers and scientists as they conduct studies and trials for new treatments and therapies.
- For medical personnel in hospitals nationwide as they care for newborns experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal.
Sources: National Institutes of Health
