Journal article
Which newborns need monitoring for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS)? Utilization and accuracy of methods to assess pregnancy opioid use
Journal of substance use, Vol.29(5), pp.875-880
2024
DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2023.2261054
Abstract
Background
A challenge in addressing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is knowing who has been exposed and needs monitoring for withdrawal. Women do not always get asked about or disclose opioid use, and biologic testing is neither universal nor infallible. We investigate the prevalence and effectiveness of methods for identifying prenatal opioid exposure.
Methods
A review of medical charts at five delivery hospitals identified newborns with known exposure (i.e., NOWS diagnosis) for study inclusion.
Results
Over 95% of the mothers had 1+ urine drug screening (UDS) during pregnancy, 38% had UDS at delivery, 94% had documentation of self-report inquiry, and 81% of the newborns had biologic testing of meconium and/or cord tissue. Pregnancy UDS detected opioid use for 17% of the sample, UDS at delivery detected for 32%. A self-report of the use prenatally/at delivery identified 85%. Cord tissue testing was positive for 78%, meconium for 61%, and infant UDS 15%. 96% of the newborns were positive on 1+ exposure variable.
Conclusions
With drug testing only when indicated, almost all exposed pregnancies included inquiry about and biologic testing for opioid use/exposure. Reliance on any one assessment method may miss exposed newborns, but consideration of all information may identify most if not all newborns needing monitoring for NOWS.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Which newborns need monitoring for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS)? Utilization and accuracy of methods to assess pregnancy opioid use
- Creators
- Beth A. Bailey - Central Michigan UniversityAlyson Chroust - East Tennessee State UniversityDarshan Shah - East Tennessee State UniversityNathaniel Justice - University of IowaDavid Wood - East Tennessee State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of substance use, Vol.29(5), pp.875-880
- DOI
- 10.1080/14659891.2023.2261054
- ISSN
- 1465-9891
- eISSN
- 1475-9942
- Number of pages
- 6
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/25/2023
- Date published
- 2024
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Hospital Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984701652302771
Metrics
5 Record Views