Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Neonatal abstinence syndrome: treatment and pediatric outcomes

Beth A Logan1, Mark S Brown, Marie J Hayes

  • 1Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology
|January 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Opioid use during pregnancy can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in infants. This review discusses NAS symptoms, developmental outcomes, and risk factors, emphasizing environmental influences.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Rising rates of opioid replacement therapy in pregnant women have increased infant cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
  • Prenatal opiate exposure presents risks for infants, including NAS symptoms and potential developmental delays.
  • Understanding these risks is crucial for improving infant health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the short- and long-term developmental outcomes for infants exposed to opiates prenatally.
  • To identify and discuss maternal and infant risk factors associated with NAS.
  • To highlight the significance of environmental factors in prenatal opiate exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on prenatal opiate exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
  • Synthesis of information on infant outcomes, maternal/infant risk factors, and treatment modalities.
  • Consideration of environmental influences on infant development.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal opiate exposure is linked to NAS, characterized by specific symptoms and severity.
  • Early cognitive and motor delays are potential long-term outcomes.
  • Maternal substance use patterns, genetic predispositions, and polysubstance exposure are key risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Effective management of NAS requires understanding diverse risk factors, including environmental ones.
  • Pharmacological treatments and breastfeeding practices are important considerations in NAS care.
  • Further research into environmental risk factors is needed to mitigate negative developmental outcomes.

More Related Videos

Preclinical Model of Prenatal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure to Assess Its Impact on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes05:13

Preclinical Model of Prenatal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure to Assess Its Impact on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Published on: February 28, 2025

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development15:27

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development

Published on: July 13, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine01:27

CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine

Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena01:15

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily...
Drug Dependence01:17

Drug Dependence

Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...