Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

Join medical student Rilee Racine and Dr. Brian Stansfield, a neonatologist at the Children's Hospital of Georgia discuss Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, also known as NOWS. 

After listening to this podcast, learners should be able to:

• Define neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
• Apply knowledge of signs and symptoms of NOWS to recognize these infants early
• Demonstrate general understanding of non-pharmacologic vs. pharmacologic management indications
• Recall the long term effects of NOWS and utilize this information to care for these infants long-term
• Educate families on clinical symptoms, management, and potential complications of NOWS

Peer Review by Dr. Rebecca Yang and Dr. Amy Thompson

Free CME Credit (requires sign-in):  https://mcg.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=0&EID=8575 

Thank you for listening to this episode from the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia. If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback- you can email us at mcgpediatricpodcast@augusta.edu. Remember that all content during this episode is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be used as medical advice to diagnose or treat any particular patient. Clinical vignette cases presented are based on hypothetical patient scenarios.

References:

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• Finnegan LP. Neonatal abstinence syndrome: assessment and pharmacotherapy. In: Nelson N, editor. Current therapy in neonatal-perinatal medicine. 2 ed. Ontario: BC Decker; 1990.
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• Zimmermann, U., Rudin, C., Duò, A. et al. Treatment of opioid withdrawal in neonates with morphine, phenobarbital, or chlorpromazine: a randomized double-blind trial. Eur J Pediatr 179, 141–149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03486-6