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Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Short term outcomes of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome: a comparison of two approaches
Rachana Singh1, Patrice Melvin2, Elisha M Wachman3
1Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. rachana.singh1@tuftsmedicine.org.
Objective:
To evaluate outcomes in opioid exposed neonates (OENs) assessed by the Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) tool compared to the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System (FNASS).
Methods:
Retrospective analysis of a statewide database of OENs from 2017 to 2020 with birthing hospitals classified based on the assessment tool used. Four main outcomes were examined using multivariable and Poisson logistic regression models.
Results:
Of 2375 OENs, 42.1% received pharmacotherapy (PT) with a consistent decrease in PT, length of treatment (LOT), and length of stay (LOS) over the study period. There was no change in use of mother's own milk (MoM). While outcomes were significantly associated with several specific variables, there were no differences in outcomes between assessment methods.
Conclusion:
While there was a significant decrease over time in PT, LOT, and LOS, improvements were independent of the assessment tool used and likely related to the increased use of non-pharmacologic care.
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