A Prolonged Treatment Associated With Absent Septum Pellucidum in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Case Report

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) involves a widely variable treatment course among affected individuals. Prognostic indicators that would help predict length of hospital stay and individualize treatment would be valuable to newborns, parents, and hospital staff, including advanced practice registered nurses. We describe a newborn with a prolonged NAS treatment course necessitating high doses of opioids and phenobarbital, found to have an isolated absent septum pellucidum (ASP). We hypothesize a mechanism for an association between an ASP and a difficult NAS treatment course. Should this be substantiated by other cases, it could provide a valuable prognosticator and indicate alternate treatment pathways.