Alaska Regional Hospital
4 minutes
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Signs in Newborns
Neonatal means newborn. Neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, is withdrawal in a newborn baby. It happens when a baby was exposed to certain drugs in the womb and then stops getting them at birth. Opioids are the most common cause. That includes pain pills, heroin, and fentanyl. It also includes methadone or buprenorphine taken as medical treatment. So NAS is not proof that a parent misused drugs. Signs often start in the first few days after birth, and sometimes later. The baby may have a high-pitched cry that is hard to soothe. You may see shaking, stiff arms and legs, sweating, sneezing, a stuffy nose, poor feeding, vomiting, loose stools, and poor sleep. Some of these signs can also come from infection, low blood sugar, or other newborn health problems. Only a medical team can sort that out. NAS is treatable. Calm care helps a lot: a quiet, dim room, swaddling, skin-to-skin contact, holding, and feeding when the baby is hungry. Some babies also need medicine in the hospital. On a home visit, write down what you see and hear. Share it with the baby's nurse or doctor, and support the parent's care of the baby. After this Concept you can recognize signs of withdrawal in a newborn and connect the family with medical care.