Understanding Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome
By Staff Writer
It's no secret that exposing an unborn baby to drugs or alcohol can have serious negative effects, including birth defects and developmental problems. Babies who have been exposed to depressant drugs are subject to yet one more negative effect - Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome (NWS), or Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome occurs in babies who were exposed to such drugs as heroin, cocaine, methadone, morphine and other opiate drugs, as well as alcohol. These drugs pass from the mother through the placenta to the baby, depressing the baby's central nervous system. As a result, the baby becomes addicted to and dependent on the drug, causing newborns to experience withdrawal symptoms beginning in the days following birth.
Withdrawal Symptoms
The symptoms of NWS can vary depending on what type of drug the mother used, how much was consumed, how long she used the drug and the individual characteristics of the baby. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to 10 days after birth, and include the following:
- Excessive crying
- Sleeplessness
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Sneezing
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Increased muscle tone
- Rapid breathing
- Hyperactive reflexes
- Blotchy skin tone
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Vomiting
Babies with NWS may be extremely hard to soothe and can appear to be constantly hungry.
Treatment of Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome
The symptoms of NWS can last from one week to six months. Babies who are diagnosed with NWS often need constant soothing through such things as gentle rocking, reduced noise and lights, and being swaddled in a blanket.
Because babies with NWS have difficulties being fed, they may also require a higher-calorie formula for greater nutrition and more frequent smaller portions.
Pregnant women who are addicted to drugs should seek treatment as soon as they know they are pregnant to help them stop their drug use and get their baby needed medical attention. Drug or alcohol addiction treatment centers and methadone clinics can help pregnant women who are addicted to drugs or alcohol stop using while protecting the well-being of the baby.
One of the worst things a pregnant woman who uses drugs can do is to quit cold turkey. This can induce withdrawal symptoms in utero and cause an accidental abortion. By enrolling at an addiction treatment center or methadone clinic, the woman will be treated with a synthetic opiate, such as methadone, to help her stop using drugs that can have a harmful effect on her baby while preventing potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.
When the baby is born, it can be weaned off of methadone using a substance such as morphine. It typically takes between two and three weeks to stabilize and wean babies off of methadone. This is the safest way to ensure that babies who have been exposed to methadone become healthy.
For babies who were exposed to any sort of drug in utero, it is important to monitor them regularly to ensure that they are developing properly. Symptoms that last more than 10 days or that are not commonly associated with NWS may be the result of another disorder that needs medical treatment.
Addiction vs. Dependency
Babies who were exposed to drugs or alcohol via their mother's addiction do not become addicted to the substances themselves. That is because addiction has a psychological component that requires a user to be aware of their actions and engage in addictive behaviors, something babies are incapable of doing.
What babies instead develop is a physical dependence on the drug, which causes a chemical reaction in the brain. Withdrawal is the result of an overproduction of the natural stimulants that are produced when the drug is withdrawn at birth.
Unlike a drug or alcohol addiction, babies who are physically dependent on a substance can return to normal within a few days of stopping usage and will need no further addiction treatment. NWS has no long-term consequences, and babies will not have any recollection of ever having the syndrome.
Nevertheless, NWS is serious because it does mean that the baby was exposed to harmful and potentially damaging substances. While NWS may not cause any long-term harm to a baby, using drugs or alcohol while pregnant can cause serious damage to an unborn child and should be avoided to ensure that a healthy baby is born.
