Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in United States

United States

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a drug withdrawal syndrome occurring in newborns. NAS is most commonly caused by fetal exposure to maternal opioid use, and is also associated with benzodiazepine, barbiturate and alcohol use. Data linking NAS with other maternal drug use is inconclusive, but use of any chemically addictive substances during pregnancy, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants (SSRIs), can cause postnatal symptoms characteristic of withdrawal. Between 55% and 94% of infants exposed to opioids during pregnancy experience withdrawal symptoms. The use of opioids during pregnancy has increased in the United States in the last 20 years, resulting in corresponding increases in NAS.

Symptoms of NAS can include central nervous system irritability (tremors, increased muscle tone, high-pitched crying and seizures), feeding difficulties, low birth weight and temperature instability. Some children can develop long-term symptoms of NAS, such as developmental delays, growth problems and hearing/vision problems.

Newborns with NAS stay in the hospital an average of 1.8 days longer than newborns without NAS, which is associated with an increased hospital cost of $1,685 per day. Medicaid covered 82.0% of NAS-related costs in 2014, which came out to $462 million.

According to America’s Health Rankings^® data, the prevalence of neonatal abstinence syndrome is higher among:

• American Indian/Alaska Native and white infants compared with Black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander infants.
• Infants in non-metropolitan areas compared with infants in metropolitan areas. 
• Infants in lower-income areas compared with infants in higher-income areas.
• Male newborns compared with female newborns.

Preventing and treating maternal opioid dependence before and during pregnancy is crucial to reducing cases of NAS. Strategies include:

• Responsible opioid prescription practices and prescription drug monitoring. Providers can refer to the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, which has a section on pregnant patients. Posters, checklists, fact sheets and trainings on the guideline can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
• Screening pregnant women for substance use and, if positive, offering information and more detailed examination in order to provide and prescribe appropriate treatment for both mother and baby.
• Treating for Two, a CDC initiative dedicated to research and development on pregnancy-safe treatments for both parents and infants.

Mandated reporting of NAS cases in hospitals helps guide programs and services with consistent and reliable data on NAS incidence, trends and associated factors. It may also help identify more cases of maternal opioid use disorder, improving data critical to developing effective interventions. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has several recommendations regarding opioid use during pregnancy, including: 

• Universal early screening, preferably at the first prenatal visit.
• Minimizing the use of opioids for chronic pain and highlighting alternative therapies.
• Increasing access to contraceptive services among women of reproductive age.

The CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health has assembled a directory of collaborative research and action initiatives with state, federal and national partners working to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder.

Healthy People 2030 has multiple goals relating to neonatal abstinence syndrome, including: 

• Increasing abstinence from illicit drugs among pregnant women. 
• Reducing the proportion of women who use illicit opioids during pregnancy.

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