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Retrospective review of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome

Journal of Perinatology volume 38, pages 587–592 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective:

Little is known about developmental outcomes in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). We hypothesized that children treated for NAS would score lower than the normative sample on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd edition.

Study design:

We performed a retrospective cohort study of 87 infants treated for NAS and evaluated at 2 years of age.

Results:

Children treated for NAS scored significantly lower than the norm (mean 100) on all 3 subscales (cognitive mean 96.5, language mean 93.8, motor mean 94.0, all p < 0.03). Children who lived with foster/adoptive families at follow up had higher cognitive scores (median 100 vs. 95, p = 0.03) than those who lived with biological relatives, and were less likely to have motor scores <85 (p = 0.02). Eight percent of children required treatment for strabismus.

Conclusions:

Children treated for NAS are at risk for lower developmental scores and higher rates of strabismus at age 2 than the general population.

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Funding

Funding

Source of funding: NIH UG1HD027853-27S1 (Poindexter/Merhar).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perinatal Institute, Division of Neonatology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Stephanie L. Merhar, Jennifer M. McAllister, Kathryn E. Wedig-Stevie & Brenda B. Poindexter

  2. Division of Occupational and Physical Therapy, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Amy C. Klein

  3. Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Jareen Meinzen-Derr

Authors
  1. Stephanie L. Merhar
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  2. Jennifer M. McAllister
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  3. Kathryn E. Wedig-Stevie
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  4. Amy C. Klein
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  5. Jareen Meinzen-Derr
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  6. Brenda B. Poindexter
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Correspondence to Stephanie L. Merhar.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Merhar, S.L., McAllister, J.M., Wedig-Stevie, K.E. et al. Retrospective review of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome. J Perinatol 38, 587–592 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0088-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0088-9

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