Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

NAS are symptoms babies may have if mothers used addicting drugs during pregnancy. This is often called withdrawal.

Drugs associated with NAS

• Pain relievers- Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet
• Illicit substances - Heroin
• Opioid maintenance therapy-methadone, buprenorphine

86 % of pregnancies are unintended among women who are using opioids.

1/3 of reproductive aged women filled prescriptions for an opioid medication.

Approximately 20 Million opioid tablets were prescribed for pain management after cesarean delivery.

21,732 newborns in 2012 were affected with NAS.

In-Utero Opioid Exposure May Cause

• Lower birth weight
• High preterm birth rate
• Reduced fetal growth
• Problems- Hypoglycemia, anemia, respiratory distress
• Altered brain growth

48-72 hours after birth symptoms typically occur

NAS ADVERSE EVENTS:

• Tremors, hyperactive reflexes, seizures
• Excessive/high pitched crying, sneezing, irritability
• Poor feeding, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, poor weight gain
• Sweating, fever
• Poor fetal growth, pre-term birth
• Sudden Infant death

Over the last decade, newborns have experienced a threefold increase in NAS hospitalizations.

The average hospital stay was 16 days. The mean hospital cost was $93,000.

NAS Treatment

• Most hospitals treat with short acting morphine
• Methadone
• Weaning off opioids slowly
• Skin on skin contact, swaddling, pacifier, breast feeding

Tens of thousands of these children have entered child foster programs or were given up.

Big pharma loaded the market through misrepresentations and aggressive marketing tactics creating the tiniest victims.