Evaluation of State-Led Surveillance of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - Six U.S. States, 2018-2021

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a significant public health problem in the United States, which affects children as well as adults. During 2010-2017, maternal opioid-related diagnoses increased approximately 130%, from 3.5 to 8.2 per 1,000 hospital deliveries, and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased 83%, from 4.0 to 7.3 per 1,000 hospital deliveries (1). NAS, a withdrawal syndrome, can occur among infants following in utero exposure to opioids and other psychotropic substances (2). In 2018, a study of six states with mandated NAS case reporting for public health surveillance (2013-2017) found that mandated reporting helped quantify NAS incidence and guide programs and services (3). To review surveillance features and programmatic development in the same six states, a questionnaire and interview with state health department officials on postimplementation efforts were developed and implemented in 2021. All states reported ongoing challenges with initial case reporting, limited capacity to track social and developmental outcomes, and no requirement for long-term follow-up in state-mandated case reporting; only one state instituted health-related outcomes monitoring. The primary surveillance barrier beyond initial case reporting was lack of infrastructure. To serve identified needs of opioid- or other substance-exposed mother-infant dyads, state health departments reported programmatic successes expanding education and access to maternal medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), community and provider education or support services, and partnerships with perinatal quality collaboratives. Development of additional infrastructure is needed for states aiming to advance NAS surveillance beyond initial case reporting.