Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Assessment Of Post-Discharge Health Care Utilization In Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, Shikhar Shrestha

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

Background/Objectives: Children born to mothers with opioid use disorder often show withdrawal effects characterized by increased stress, hyperirritability, tremors, tachycardia, sleep deprivation, and gastrointestinal discomfort, commonly known as “neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome” (NOWS). Studies have shown that the effect of NOWS can lead to several health-related disorders later in life leading to increased health care utilization. However, detailed study of post-discharge health care utilization, specifically focusing on encounters with the health care system is currently lacking in the literature. Our objective was to evaluate health care utilization in infants who were diagnosed with NOWS during a one-year follow-up period after …