Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a growing concern within the United States. This paper discusses what NAS is and the effects it has on the newborn infant. If first discusses the incidence of NAS as regard to maternal age, race, and ethnicity. It explains the types of drugs most commonly associated with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. However, I have excluded alcohol from this paper because it results in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This paper will then explain the types of physical symptoms associated with NAS for the full-term and premature infant. It discusses the different classes of drugs and the unique symptoms newborns experience with each. Furthermore, it discusses the long-term cognitive and behavioral effects that newborns can experience as they grow. In addition, this paper discusses how Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is diagnosed and the how the Finnegan neonatal scoring system is used to help physicians determine the severity of NAS in each newborn. Lastly, this paper explains the treatment for NAS and the important roles of the nurse when caring for a newborn with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of problems a newborn experiences when exposed to addictive drugs that the mother consumes during pregnancy. NAS is a growing concern in the United States and can have significant adverse effects on newborns. Shortly after birth the infant can display many physical symptoms of withdrawal. In addition, substance abuse during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight, seizures, birth defects, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and possible long-term cognitive and behavioral problems. The 2010 results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary o... ... middle of paper ... ...Midwifery, 16(4), 220-223 Neonatal abstinence syndrome. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004566/ Neonatal abstinence syndrome. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/hrnewborn/nas.html Neonatal abstinence syndrome. (2012a). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007313.htm Neonatal abstinence syndrome. (2012b). Retrieved from http://www.yalemedicalgroup.org/stw/Page.asp?PageID=STW026750 Results from the 2010 national survey on drug use and health: summary of national findings. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm Zimmermann-Baer, U., Nötzli, U., Rentsch, K., & Bucher, H. U. (2010). Finnegan neonatal abstinence scoring system: normal values for first 3 days and weeks 5-6 in non-addicted infants. Addiction, 105(3), 524-528.
As teenagers many of us don’t understand the importance of abstinence especially now that we have media influence and peer pressure but the truth is that being bullied and being grief stricken is not cool. Disadvantages of not practicing abstinence are transmission of diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes and HIV/A...
who used cigarettes and alcohol while pregnant and kids who are exposed to high levels of
Drug and alcohol use in pregnancy poses a threat to the neonate’s development and the obstetric provider has an obligation to screen for substance use. Substance use in pregnancy can place the developing fetus at risk for in-utero opioid dependence, fetal-alcohol syndrome, preterm labor, and other consequences of maternal alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use.(6) Within the past three years La Crosse County has seen a marked increase in the amount of heroin use.(7)
Although not every child born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome was intentionally put at risk by the mother, it is understandable that the law should conduct more tests to determine the mother’s outcome. If a child is born with NAS and his or her toxic screen came back positive for a drug, the mother should face a penalty. Doctors should have the right to inform the mother of the consequences the child might face if she takes some drugs even if they are prescribed by a doctor. Then the mother should make her own decision regarding her drug consumption. One can conclude that NAS is a form of child abuse and that there are serious consequences for it that include the loss of all parental rights to the child and even a prison term depending on how severe the child’s symptoms are.
Thomas, . "Abstinence-Only Sex Education Statistics - Final Nail in the Coffin." Open Education: Free Education for All. N.p., 5 Jan 2009. Web. 4 Apr. 2012
abstinence to prevent or delay pregnancy. As time passed, many methods were used by various
Maternal & Child Health Journal, 8(3), 107-110. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=14089739&site=ehost-live.
Drug abuse has changed over the years due to the trends that Americans face from the encouragement of different cultures. The abuse of substances creates many health problems. The following will discuss the past and current trends of drug use and the effects these drugs have on the health of the individuals who abuse the drugs.
The correlation between maternal smoking and low birth weight has been strongly established. Nicotine affects the placental function by inducing the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine into the maternal blood, which causes decreased blood flow to the placenta (1). The decreased blood flow causes a decrease in delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. This may have an effect on cell growth and development. High levels of carboxyhemoglobin are present in the blood of the mother and the fetus. This may decrease the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen and fetal hypoxia is the result (2). Fetal hypoxia and ischemia are major contributors to developmental defects, but nicotine has been implicated, in various studies, to have a direct affect on fetal development (3).
Alcohol, also known as ethanol, is a legal substance, which causes a person to become relaxed and “care-free”. Once alcohol is consumed, it is released into the bloodstream, which causes the brain to react, causing side effects. When a woman drinks alcohol while being pregnant, it can cause some physical and mental damage to the fetus. When a fetus is affected by alcohol exposure, it is called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). If the affects are severe, it is then termed Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The abnormalities occur in the central nervous system, facial structure, growth, and neurobehavioral development of the child. Severity of the damage depends on the amount of consumption, frequency, and timing of the consumption (Ungerer, Knezovich and Ramsay, 2013). Approximately 1 in 100 births have FASD effects. In the United States, 2-7 out of 1000 births are affected by FAS. 2-5% of young children in the United States and Western Europe are affected by FASD, while in Italy, the rate of FASD is 20.3-40.5 per 1000 births (Riley, Infante, Warren, 2011). These results are happening because 10-20% of women in the United States, 40% in Uruguay, and 50% of Italy consume alcohol while pregnant (Valenzuela, Morton and Diaz, 2012).
"New Data Show Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse." Targeted News Service (USA) 11 Apr. 2011,: NewsBank. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
One such assessment is the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), which assesses the newborns reflexes, muscle tone, arousal states, as well as responsiveness to physical and social stimuli (Berk, 2008). From this assessment other assessments have been developed. One of the assessments that was developed based off of the NBAS is the Assessment of Preterm Infants Behavior (APIB). The APIB is used as a behavior tool designed to document the spectrum of full-term as well as preterm newborn infants’ neurobehavioral functioning (Als, Butler, Kosta & McAnulty, 2005). As time progressed the test was modified to include a variety of responses that went from motor to neurobehavioral
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” A child has most likely heard that phrase at some point in their life. Although, it is not ethical or legal for a mother to “take her kid out of this world”, it does bring up a good point that it was through her body, that the child was born. One of the most important responsibilities in this world is a mother carrying a child in the womb. There are many divine processes that take place during gestation, but there are also many contributing factors from the mother that can affect the developing human. These factors may include what a woman ingests and exposes her embryo or fetus to. Sadly, alcohol use during pregnancy is an ongoing problem that can have detrimental affects on the fetus, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Choosing to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy is a choice, a risky choice. Unfortunately some women don’t even know they are making a risky choice by consuming alcohol because it is in the early stages of pregnancy. It is common for a female to not find out they are pregnant until at least the fifth or sixth week after fertilization. In 2006, 49% of all pregnancies in the United States were reported unintended on a national survey.1 The highest rate of preventable birth defects and mental retardation is due to alcohol use.2 In this paper, I will further discuss FAS, the potential effects of binge drinking during the embryonic stage of gestation, and what actions need to be taken in order to reduce the incidences of alcohol related birth defects.
Wisborg, K., Kesmodel, U., Tine, B. H., Sjurdur, F. O., & Secher, N. J. (2000). A prospective study of smoking during pregnancy and SIDS. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 83(3), 203-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196895386?accountid=41057
Office of the National Drug Control Policy. "National Survey on Drug Use and Health." May 2008. Print. 26 March 2014.