Supporting Families and Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit & transition to EI

In Part 2 of this 2 part sequence, use of abstinence assessment tools to rate NAS scores will be discussed to guide understanding of withdrawal symptoms commonly observed. Abstinence tools will be compared and contrasted against infant assessments commonly used by therapist to guide neurodevelopmental implications of symptoms. Guided by NAS assessments non-pharmological management will be addressed including environmental adaptations, state regulation, rest and sleep (use of swaddling, nonnutritive sucking, rocking, positioning), feeding (formula and breastfeeding). Applied examples of the therapist role in NICU along with treatment interventions for infants and their families will be discussed. Once the caregivers within the NICU are better to understand the scope of the problem, this knowledge will translate into improved developmentally supportive and age appropriate care. A through understanding of infants with NAS and their families will lead to more responsive care for their infants during and after their hospital stay.