Urinary excretion of methadone during neonatal withdrawal: clinical application

Methadone withdrawal manifestations in the neonate may be protracted and recur following therapy which suppresses symptoms. Sequential hemagglutination-inhibition measurements of methadone in urine can delineate the excretion period for this drug. A fall in titer to levels of 1:5 or less is associated with termination of the withdrawal process. The use of this technique serves as an adjunct to clinical assessment, particularly with regard to determining the length of time required for medical observation.