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The Best Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is Parents

Emerging best practices prioritize skin to skin contact with parents and chestfeeding. Newborns that receive this care are ready for discharge earlier, often with less medication. Prioritize programs that keep families together.

The Best Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is Parents

What You Need To Know

  • It is medically inaccurate to report any prenatally drug exposed infant as “born addicted.” Addiction is defined as a set of behaviors that includes seeking drugs despite negative social consequences, a description clearly inapplicable to infants. 

  • By disregarding the distinction between dependence and addiction, and ignoring the short term nature of neonatal withdrawal, media hype perpetuates stigma, misinformation and punitive measures—such as mandatory drug testing and removal of children from parental care.

  • Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) is an emerging best practice for treating neonatal abstinence syndrome. It prioritizes non-pharmacologic approaches to care, such as a low-stimulation environment, swaddling, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. ESC also encourages parental involvement in the care and assessment of their infants.

  • “Newborns cared for with ESC were medically ready for discharge approximately 6.7 days earlier and 63% less likely to receive medication as part of their treatment”. * 


Programs To Know


Where to Go for More Information


Research

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