What is the Optimal Course of Treatment for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome?

The current research extensively explores approaches for the treatment of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), yielding evidence of both complementary and contradictory methods. The purpose of this paper is to review and consolidate the current literature into comprehensive recommendations for treatment interventions and patient assessment. An optimal approach involves the interlacement of non-pharmacological care, pharmacological therapy, and the proper evaluation of progress. Though these topics differ greatly in implementation regimens and a facility’s ability to comply, each aspect of care can heavily impact recovery, and all must be discussed. Following the literary discussion, a new assessment instrument and multiple streamlined recommendations for the aforementioned topics will be introduced. The proposed instrument synthesizes information from 18 scoring methods to find a balance between neonatal comfort and clinical efficacy. It is the hope of this research that there will be improvements in individualized NOWS care based on the findings in regards to both comfort control and holistic, representative symptom observation.